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Former President Trump remarked on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after intense criticism from Ukraine's leaders and commentators who likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short 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, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to give up land under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts a difficult decision in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Talks

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, 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."

Global Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he expressed he was outraged 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 Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation ought to consider 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 said.

EU Officials Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. 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, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."