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Former President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following fierce reaction from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments from the White House, the US president informed 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 Talks Include Various Nations

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

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Ukraine to give up territory it currently controls to Russia, downsize its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Upcoming Talks

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

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

Suggesting red lines, Umerov noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted 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 Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter 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 concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted 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, Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill 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."