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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after intense backlash from Ukrainian leaders and analysts that compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief remarks from the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, this plan did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to cede land it currently controls to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days involving keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at limits, Umerov added: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

Global Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated 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 impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. 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, he expressed he was outraged 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 families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms 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 crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

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