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Ex-leader Trump remarked on Saturday that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after fierce backlash from Ukraine's leaders and commentators that likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief remarks from the White House, Trump told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Various Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the details of the leaked plan. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory under its control to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision over the coming days involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, Umerov 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 Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to 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 expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."