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Former President Trump indicated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, following fierce criticism from Ukraine's officials and analysts that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

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

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Various Nations

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations there.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the details of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future between 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 in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Rustem Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

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 Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war 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 enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "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 it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent 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 attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser 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."