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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after strong criticism from Ukrainian leaders and analysts who compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, the US president informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Countries

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

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision over the coming days involving keeping its national dignity and losing a major partner like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Formed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or respectable resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold discussions with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, he 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

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it needs "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he expressed 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 deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for 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 give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine ought to consider to give away certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Officials Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."