Two key advisers to Donald Trump have presented the Republican candidate with a plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine – if he wins the November 5 presidential election – that involves telling Ukraine it will only get more weapons from the US if it enters into negotiations of peace.
At the same time, the United States would warn Moscow that any refusal to negotiate would result in greater U.S. support for Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, one of Trump’s national security advisers, said in an interview.
Under the plan drawn up by Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, who served as chiefs of staff on Trump’s National Security Council during his presidency (2017-2021), there would be a ceasefire during the talks based on already consolidated battle lines, he said. Fleitz.
They presented their strategy to Trump and the Republican presidential candidate responded favorably, Fleitz added. “I’m not saying he agreed or agreed with every word, but we were pleased to receive the feedback we received,” he said.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said only statements made by Trump or authorized members of his campaign should be considered official.
The strategy outlined by Kellogg and Fleitz is the most detailed plan ever drawn up by associates of Trump, who has said he could quickly resolve the war in Ukraine if he defeats President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election, although he has not said how he would do so.
The proposal would mark a major shift in the US stance on the war and would face opposition from European allies and within Trump’s own Republican Party.
The Kremlin said any peace plan proposed by a possible future Trump administration would have to reflect realities on the ground, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin remained open to negotiations.
“The value of any plan lies in nuances and taking into account the real situation on the ground,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters.
“President Putin has repeatedly said that Russia has been and remains open to negotiations, taking into account the real situation on the ground,” he said.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Tuesday (25) that freezing hostilities on existing front lines would be “strange”, given that Russia violated international law by invading Ukraine.
“Ukraine has an absolutely clear understanding and it is spelled out in the peace formula proposed by the president (Volodymyr) Zelenskyit is clearly stated there – peace can only be just and peace can only be based on international law,” he told Reuters.
The White House National Security Council said the Biden administration would not force Ukraine to negotiate with Russia. “President Biden believes that any decisions on negotiations rest with Ukraine,” said agency spokeswoman Adrienne Watson.
NATO membership on the refrigerator
The central elements of the plan were outlined in a publicly available research document published by the “America First Policy Institute,” a Trump-friendly think tank where Kellogg and Fleitz hold leadership positions.
Kellogg said it would be crucial to quickly bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table if Trump wins the election.
“We say to the Ukrainians, ‘You have to come to the table, and if you don’t come to the table, the support of the United States will end,’” he said. “And you say to Putin, ‘He has to come to the table and if you don’t come, we will give the Ukrainians everything they need to kill them in the field.’”
According to their investigative work, Moscow’s leaders would also be persuaded to come to the table with the promise of Ukraine’s NATO membership being delayed for an extended period.
Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. Until some Russian gains in recent months, the front lines have barely moved since the end of that year, despite tens of thousands of deaths on both sides in relentless trench warfare, the bloodiest fighting in Europe since the Second World War.
Fleitz said Ukraine does not need to formally cede territory to Russia under its plan. Still, he said, Ukraine is unlikely to regain effective control of all of its territory in the short term.
“Our concern is that this will become a war of attrition that will kill an entire generation of young people,” he said.
A lasting peace in Ukraine would require additional security guarantees for Ukraine, Kellogg and Fleitz said. Fleitz added that “arming Ukraine to the teeth” would likely be a key element of that.
“President Trump has repeatedly stated that a top priority in his second term will be to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war,” said Trump spokesman Cheung.
Biden campaign spokesman James Singer said Trump is not interested in standing up to Putin or defending democracy.
Russian advantage
Some Republicans will be reticent to pay more resources to Ukraine under the plan. The US has spent more than $70 billion on military aid to Ukraine since Moscow’s invasion.
“What (Trump supporters) want to do is reduce aid, if not turn off the tap,” said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Putin said this month that the war could end if Ukraine agreed to abandon its ambitions to join NATO and hand over four eastern and southern provinces claimed by Russia.
During a United Nations Security Council meeting last week, the French and British ambassadors reiterated their view that peace can only be sought when Russia withdraws from Ukrainian territory, a position shared by Kiev.
Several analysts have also expressed concern that Kellogg and Fleitz’s plan could give Moscow an advantage in negotiations.
“What Kellogg is describing is a process that leads to Ukraine giving up all the territory that Russia now occupies,” said Daniel Fried, a former assistant secretary of state who worked on Russian politics.
During a podcast interview last week, Trump ruled out sending U.S. troops to Ukraine and appeared skeptical about making Ukraine a member of NATO. He indicated he would move quickly to cut aid to Kiev if elected.
Biden has consistently pushed for more aid to Ukraine and his administration supports its eventual accession to NATO. Earlier this month, Biden and Zelensky signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
