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Ex-leader Trump remarked on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan was "not my final offer", after intense reaction from Ukrainian officials and commentators that likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments from the White House, the US president told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Switzerland this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks there.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or respectable resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, stated there would be consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at 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 Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively 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 Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, stating it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

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

On social media, he expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." 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, Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition 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."