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Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after fierce criticism from Ukraine's officials and analysts who compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments from the White House, the US president told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on the plan. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by Senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country confronts a difficult decision over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that genuine or respectable peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member 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".

Suggesting limits, he added: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it requires 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 put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked 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".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded very little in the proposed deal 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 said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She said that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation should be ready to give away certain regions for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."