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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked this past weekend that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace was "not my final offer", following fierce backlash from Ukraine's officials and analysts who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks at the White House, the US president told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or "dignified" resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, he added: 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 sought to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from a similar category, with the victim invited "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. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Officials Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."