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Ex-leader Trump remarked on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, after strong criticism from Ukraine's officials and analysts who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short comments from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by Senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner 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 Upcoming Meetings

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said there would be discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, he 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 Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan 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 expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported 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 had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager 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 expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."