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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following strong backlash from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, Trump told 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 we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Countries

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

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Ukraine to cede land under its control to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, said they will hold 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 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 Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. 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 stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "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 Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia 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. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Leaders Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as 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, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser 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. A critical juncture for the European Union."