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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, following intense criticism from Ukrainian leaders and analysts who compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, the former president has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up territory under its control to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future between keeping 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 Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at limits, Umerov 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 Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan came from a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, 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

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Leaders Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized 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 said if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."