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Former President Trump remarked on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", after strong criticism from Ukraine's officials and analysts that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments from the White House, the US president informed reporters: 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 we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this 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 media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice in the near future between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Talks

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold discussions with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, Umerov 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."

Global Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, he expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded 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 remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

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 suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser 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. A critical juncture for the European Union."