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Former President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", following strong criticism from Ukrainian officials and analysts who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks from the White House, the US president told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by Senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president said that real or respectable peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said there would be consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, Umerov added: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. 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 give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."