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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, following intense criticism from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short remarks at the White House, Trump informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators informed media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to give up land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts a difficult decision over the coming days involving preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, the president said that real or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, he 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."

International Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with the US administration 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 held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, stating it needs further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan came from a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered "barely anything" 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 give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" 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 that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Officials Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians 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, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". 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."