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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, after intense criticism from Ukrainian leaders and commentators that compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Various Nations

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

Ahead of the talks, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by Senator Angus King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to cede land under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that genuine or respectable peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, stated there would be consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, 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."

Global Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it requires further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, he said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready to give away certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Officials Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."