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Former President Trump indicated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after fierce criticism from Ukraine's officials and analysts that compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short remarks from the White House, the US president informed reporters: 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 Talks Involve Various Nations

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to the talks, US senators informed the press that State Department head Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has given Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up land under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts a difficult decision in the near future between preserving its national dignity and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real 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 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 consultations with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, Umerov 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."

International Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

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

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult 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 Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Moscow has attempted 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.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced 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 battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and predicted 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 ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, 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. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."