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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after strong backlash from Ukraine's officials and commentators who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks there.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers informed the press 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, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up land under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president said that genuine 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 Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, said they will hold consultations 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 represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

Global Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded very little in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. 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 said. 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 remarked.

Varied Perspectives 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. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking in the rain, 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 ought to consider ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."