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Former President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted "not my final offer", following intense reaction from Ukrainian leaders and commentators that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short remarks at the White House, the US president informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations there.

Prior to the talks, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the details of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to cede territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out 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 in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated there would be discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. 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 participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

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

On social media, he expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," 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 crucial source of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country 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 predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."