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Ex-leader Trump stated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following fierce criticism from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, the US president informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks there.

Prior to the talks, US senators informed the press that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving keeping 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.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy said that genuine or "dignified" resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. 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

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it requires further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals 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. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Officials Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition 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."