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Ex-leader Trump stated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", following intense criticism from Ukrainian officials and commentators who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, Trump informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve 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 Involve Various Nations

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Prior to the talks, American lawmakers told media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Time Limit

However, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up land it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving its national dignity and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Appointed for Geneva Talks

In comments this weekend, the president said that real or respectable peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, Umerov added: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. 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."

International Reaction and Concerns

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 that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult 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 rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "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 would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence 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 Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation should be ready to give away certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Officials Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."