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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked this past weekend that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following intense reaction from Ukrainian officials and analysts that likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, the US president told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede land under its control to Russia, downsize its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces a difficult decision over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Yermak.

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

Hinting at limits, he noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. 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 Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "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 continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."