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Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, following strong backlash from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks at the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Switzerland this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to give up land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts a difficult decision in the near future between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Appointed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that genuine or respectable resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, Umerov 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 Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little 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 remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. 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 cede territory.

While 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 the nation should be ready to give away certain regions temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."