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Ex-leader Trump stated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after intense backlash from Ukrainian leaders and commentators that compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

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

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

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

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Deadline

However, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Ukraine to cede land it currently controls to Russia, reduce its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that genuine or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at limits, he 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."

Global Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, saying it requires "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 put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. 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 stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She said that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said 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.

European Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."