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Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after strong criticism from Ukrainian leaders and analysts that likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short 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, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, US senators told the press that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, according to Senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, the president said that real or respectable resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

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 Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

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

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna 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" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser 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."