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Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, following fierce backlash from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short remarks from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told the press that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Time Limit

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on 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 Russian war crimes.

In a sombre speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping the nation's honor and losing key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president said that genuine or "dignified" resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded very little in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "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 it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted 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 predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine ought to consider to give away certain regions temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Officials Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted 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. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."