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Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after intense reaction from Ukraine's officials and commentators that compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief 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 are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Various Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations there.

Prior to the talks, US senators informed media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving keeping the nation's honor and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Talks

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or "dignified" resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. 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 from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting 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 Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it needs "additional work". 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 Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators 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 the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

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 Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."