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Former President Trump remarked on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, following strong criticism from Ukraine's officials and analysts that likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments from the White House, the US president informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Countries

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed the press that State Department head Rubio reached out to 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 independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to cede land under its control to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and losing key ally like the United States. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Upcoming Talks

In comments this weekend, the president said that real or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, stated there would be discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, he 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 sought to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs further refinement. 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 put conditions on its European Union membership.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded 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 remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. 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.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient 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 expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition 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."