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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after intense criticism from Ukrainian officials and analysts that likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks from the White House, Trump 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."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks there.

Prior to the talks, US senators informed the press that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to give up land under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving keeping its national dignity and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking on Saturday, the president emphasized that genuine or respectable peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting 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."

International Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent 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 enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it requires "additional work". The statement indicated 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 impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, 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. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. 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 during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."