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Former President Trump remarked this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, following strong backlash from Ukraine's leaders and analysts that likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, Trump informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, the former president has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede land under its control to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future involving preserving its national dignity and losing key ally like the United States. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, Umerov noted: 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 Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, he expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. "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 it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

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