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Ex-leader Trump stated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following strong backlash from Ukrainian leaders and commentators that compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, the US president informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Various Countries

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

Ahead of the talks, US senators told media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to give up land under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, Umerov noted: "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."

Global Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted 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. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Officials Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister 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 could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."