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Former President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, after fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials and analysts who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short comments at the White House, Trump told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Include Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers told the press that State Department head Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, according to Senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Deadline

However, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up land it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country faces a difficult decision over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and losing key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

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."

International Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House 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 the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded "barely anything" 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 remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country 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. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."