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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following intense reaction from Ukraine's leaders and commentators that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks at the White House, the US president informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations there.

Ahead of the talks, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces a difficult decision over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and losing a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Appointed for Geneva Talks

In comments on Saturday, the president said that real or "dignified" peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at limits, he added: 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."

International Reaction and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider to give away certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Leaders Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."