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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukraine's leaders and analysts that compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations there.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by Senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to cede land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days between keeping its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

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

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."

Global Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has attempted to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined 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 abandon the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, he expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered "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 added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" 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 expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider 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 Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, 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" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."