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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, following strong backlash from Ukrainian officials and commentators who likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, Trump told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Countries

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks there.

Prior to these discussions, US senators told media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between keeping its national dignity and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Talks

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, established through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said there would be discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, Umerov noted: 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."

International Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

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

On social media, Nayyem expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered 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 said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. 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.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Leaders Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."