Trump's peace plan sparks debate amid Ukraine crisis
Russia is determined to advance the front line as much as possible and engage in potential negotiations from a position of strength. Ukrainian media are in turmoil, while Russia is rejoicing over another leak about Trump’s peace plan.
Ukraine agrees to forgo NATO membership for 20 years. The front line remains frozen as troops hold their positions, and the occupied territories temporarily revert to Russian control. The United States will continue supplying Ukraine with weapons to deter any future Russian aggression - these are the latest unofficial reports on Donald Trump’s peace plan, as described by "The Wall Street Journal."
It is known that one version of the plan was submitted to Trump by his former associates: top national security adviser Gen. Keith Kellogg and Frederick Fleitz, a former National Security Council member and CIA analyst. Although the advisors presented their ideas, Trump himself will make the final decision, emphasises the newspaper. The key issue is how to persuade Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to enter negotiations.
The President of Ukraine announced that he already spoke with Trump after the election results were announced: - We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace - he described the conversation. Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated on his behalf: "Russia will judge the actions of the US government, and any hypothetical discussions about plans to end the war in Ukraine are inappropriate. Putin remains open to constructive dialogue with the US, but Washington’s attitude is the opposite. Whether it will change will become clear in January."
Early January is the inauguration date for the newly elected president. Military experts in Ukraine comment that the coming two months are a "window for Russia" to decide the war on the battlefield.
Ukraine is in turmoil. They hope Biden will still help
Ukrainian media are flooded with comments on possible scenarios to end the war. In a report by the Unian agency discussing the state of the war, it is noted that in the final days of President Joe Biden's term, significant assistance can be provided to Ukraine.
- The United States could provide Ukraine with all the necessary long-range means, with which we could shoot down Russian Su-34s carrying anti-aircraft missiles and hit Russian territory with ATACMS and JASSM for F-16s, and so on. Then Russia simply would not be able to implement its plans by February next year, said Mykhailo Samus, director of the New Geopolitics Research Network platform, to Unian.
These hopes are juxtaposed with warnings. Many analysts believe that Ukraine's authorities will be forced into negotiations. Trump’s plan is said to include a clause denying weapon supplies to Ukraine until Kyiv agrees to peace talks with Russia.
- On 6th November, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine summarised the results of the three-month military operation in the Kursk region. It is possible that soon Kyiv will announce the successful completion of all tasks of this operation. This may therefore be a signal for Donald Trump of Kyiv’s readiness for potential negotiations, said political commentator Oleksandr Kharebin to Ukrainian television.
- It may happen that Ukraine, the General Staff, the president, and the command may acknowledge that the tasks of the Kursk operation have been completed. Their result may be a bargaining tool in negotiations regarding the establishment of certain lines after the war ends, the Ukrainian expert assessed.
