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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after fierce criticism from Ukraine's officials and commentators that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, Trump told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Prior to the talks, US senators told the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to give up territory it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between keeping the nation's honor and losing key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Talks

In comments on Saturday, the president said that genuine or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

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."

Global Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members 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.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

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

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and maintained 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 sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."