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Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after intense criticism from Ukraine's leaders and commentators who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short remarks from the White House, Trump told journalists: "We’d like to get to 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 Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations there.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on 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 Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Appointed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, Umerov noted: "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 Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it needs "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. 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 concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."