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Former President Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", following strong reaction from Ukraine's officials and analysts who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks from the White House, the US president told 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 it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Deadline

However, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to cede territory under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice in the near future between preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said there would be discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, Umerov added: "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 Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he 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 rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little 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 remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. 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 predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured 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 roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill 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. A critical juncture for the European Union."