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Former President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", following intense reaction from Ukraine's officials and commentators who compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief comments at the White House, the US president told reporters: Our goal is to achieve 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 Talks Include Various Nations

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks there.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to give up land under its control to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces a difficult decision over the coming days involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president said that genuine or "dignified" resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated there would be discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, he 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."

Global Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president 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 abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to 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 its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter 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 Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded "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.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted 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 that the president is intelligent and predicted 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 the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation should be ready to give away certain regions temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She said if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, 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."