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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was "not my final offer", following intense backlash from Ukraine's leaders and analysts that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, Trump informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers told the press that State Department head Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country confronts a difficult decision over the coming days between keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Formed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking on Saturday, 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 American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated there would be discussions with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, he 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 Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has attempted to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

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

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Leaders Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."