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Ex-leader Trump remarked on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan was "not my final offer", following fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials and analysts who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments at the White House, the US president told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to cede land under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Geneva Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said there would be consultations with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, Umerov added: "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."

International Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with a White House 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 disregard a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons 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.

On social media, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced 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. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "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 predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."