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Former President Trump indicated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after intense reaction from Ukrainian officials and commentators who compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief 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 it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Countries

Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up land it currently controls to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days between keeping its national dignity and losing a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that genuine or respectable resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, he noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, 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 remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, 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. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away certain regions temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned 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 – further hostilities could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."