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Ex-leader Trump remarked on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, after fierce criticism from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations there.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers told the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to give up territory under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice in the near future between preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Appointed for Geneva Talks

Speaking on Saturday, the president emphasized that genuine or "dignified" resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, Umerov noted: "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 Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with the US administration 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 disregard a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it requires further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient 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 forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."