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For a brief period, Donald Trump seemed to take a strong stance concerning the Ukrainian conflict. Following delivering statements of "severe ramifications" last August if Russia's president persisted hindering ceasefire discussions, Trump finally enacted major restrictions on Russia's biggest petroleum corporations, these major energy companies. This decision substantially hindered the Russian leader's ability to support his military invasion in Ukraine.

However, with his latest detailed peace initiative for Ukraine, reportedly drafted by both nations' diplomats lacking Ukrainian or EU involvement, Trump has seemingly reverted to his Russia-friendly position.

Favoring Aggression

This plan would in practice favor the Russian leader for invading Ukraine while placing Ukraine's democracy in jeopardy. Despite bold statements that "Ukraine's autonomy will be confirmed", large portions of the initiative effectively undermine that very independence. What represents a Kremlin dream would likely be a disaster for Ukraine.

Showing his real-estate experience, Trump seems to consider the situation in Ukraine as a mere border issue, as if giving Putin a section of Ukrainian territory will appease the leader. Yet, Russia's war is not only about dominating a charred swath of economically weakened area in Ukraine's east. Rather, it is about the nation's political system – and Putin's clear desire to destroy it so it ceases to acts as an enticing standard for the Russia's population of the accountable leadership that Putin's deepening autocracy denies them.

Land Concessions

While freezing in status the presently separated Ukrainian provinces of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the plan would require Ukraine to give up the entire Donetsk region. Aside from rewarding the Russian Federation with territory that its forces have been failed to capture in over a lengthy period of conflict, this giveaway would render Ukraine's military defenses dangerously weakened.

This region is the site of Ukraine's much-vaunted "fortress belt", the fortified defensive positions that are a critical impediment to invading forces. Trump would have the Ukrainian military abandon these positions, giving Russian forces a clear way to Kyiv should he later choose to resume the war.

Defense Restrictions

Then, in a move that would enable additional hostilities more feasible for the Russian military, the plan would require the nation to reduce the scale of its armed forces from their current large number soldiers to a maximum of this lower number. Importantly, the initiative places no similar restrictions on the invading army.

Apparently as a concession to Putin's campaign to depict Ukraine's legitimate government as radicals, the plan declares: "Any Nazi ideology and actions must be opposed and banned." As if to emphasize this point, it requires that "Ukraine will hold democratic votes in this period" of a truce. However, the proposal sets no obligation that the Russian leader risk his authoritarian rule by holding elections in Russia.

Protection Guarantees

Admittedly, the initiative makes Russia promise not to "enter bordering nations" and to "incorporate in law its policy of non-aggression towards Europe and the Ukrainian people". But given that Putin has breached comparable treaties in the history – such as the 1994 agreement, in which Russia promised to honor Ukraine's territorial integrity in exchange for surrendering its former Soviet nuclear arsenal, and the Minsk accords, in which Moscow agreed to a halt in fighting and a return of seized territory in the region to the government – for what reason should the international community have confidence in Russia this time?

This explains Ukraine has been so determined on external protection assurances. Although the proposal threatens a "decisive joint defense action" should the Russian Federation restart its military campaign, and provides that "The nation will receive reliable defense commitments", the specifics include vague to concerning. The proposal would not just prevent the nation accession to NATO but also prevent Nato members from deploying troops on the nation's land, effectively precluding the peacekeeping contingent, reportedly headed by the UK and France, on which the Ukrainian government had been relying to stop Russia from replenishing his reduced forces, rearming, and resuming aggression.

World Concern

Another supplementary accord according to sources would provide the nation with a Nato-style protection assurance, in which any subsequent "significant, intentional, and ongoing military assault" by Russia on the country "would be considered as an attack jeopardizing the peace and security of the allied countries." This indicates a military response. Yet different from a capable Ukrainian military – the nation's primary protection against future invasion – the effectiveness of the side agreement would depend on the commitment of alliance members, such as the US administration, to react militarily to Russia's aggression, an action they have {not