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Former President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following intense criticism from Ukraine's officials and analysts that compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, Trump told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country confronts a difficult decision in the near future between keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated there would be discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, Umerov noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This is another stage of the dialogue that has been ongoing in recent days and is primarily aimed at aligning our vision for the next steps."

Global Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."