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For a brief period, Trump gave the impression to take a firm stance regarding Ukraine. Following making warnings of "serious ramifications" in August in case Vladimir Putin carried on blocking truce talks, Trump finally imposed substantial sanctions on Russia's primary oil companies, these major energy companies. This action substantially affected the Russian leader's ability to fund his military invasion in Ukraine.

Yet, through his recently unveiled 28-point peace initiative for the conflict, reportedly developed by US and Russian officials without Ukraine's or EU participation, Trump has apparently reverted to his pro-Putin approach.

Rewarding Military Action

The former president's initiative would effectively benefit the Russian leader for occupying Ukraine while placing the country's democratic system in jeopardy. Although strong statements that "Ukraine's autonomy will be affirmed", much of the initiative actually weaken that essential independence. What represents a Kremlin dream would certainly be a Ukrainian nightmare.

Demonstrating his business experience, Trump seems to view the war as a simple border issue, implying ceding Russia a part of Ukrainian land will appease the ruler. But, Russia's invasion is not simply about dominating a destroyed swath of economically weakened land in Ukraine's east. Instead, it's about the nation's democratic governance – and the Russian leader's obvious intention to eliminate it so it no longer serves as an enticing example for the Russia's population of the responsible governance that Putin's increasing dictatorship prevents them.

Land Surrenders

Although maintaining in place the already split Ukrainian provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the plan would force the nation to surrender the entire Donetsk province. Aside from favoring the Russian Federation with land that its forces have been unsuccessful to occupy in more than a decade of warfare, this surrender would make Ukraine's defenses dangerously compromised.

The area is the site of the nation's well-known "defensive line", the entrenched defensive positions that constitute a essential obstacle to Russian advances. Trump would have Ukraine leave these positions, leaving Russian forces a clear route to Kyiv should he subsequently decide to renew the conflict.

Military Limitations

Furthermore, in a action that would enable renewed conflict simpler for the Russian military, Trump would require the nation to reduce the numbers of its troops from their existing approximately 800,000 troops to a cap of six hundred thousand. Significantly, the proposal places no such constraints on the invading army.

Apparently as a accommodation to Putin's attempts to portray Ukraine's legitimate government as extremists, the plan declares: "Every Nazi belief system and practices must be rejected and banned." As if to emphasize this point, it insists that "The nation will hold democratic votes in this period" of a truce. However, Trump sets no requirement that Putin risk his regime by allowing democratic processes in his own country.

Defense Guarantees

Certainly, the plan makes Russia commit not to "invade bordering nations" and to "establish in law its policy of peaceful relations towards the EU and Ukraine". But taking into account that the Russian leadership has violated comparable agreements in the history – including the 1994 agreement, in which the Russian government promised to honor Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for surrendering its former Soviet nuclear weapons, and the Minsk accords, in which Moscow promised to a ceasefire and a return of seized areas in eastern Ukraine to Ukrainian control – why should the international community believe this commitment this time?

That is why the Ukrainian government has been so adamant on international security guarantees. Although the plan promises a "decisive coordinated defense action" if the Russian Federation resume its aggression, and states that "Ukraine will receive dependable protection assurances", the details include fuzzy to alarming. The initiative would not just prevent Ukraine accession to NATO but also preclude Nato members from stationing forces on the nation's land, effectively blocking the security presence, reportedly led by Britain and France, on which the Ukrainian government had been relying to stop Russia from rebuilding his diminished military, re-equipping, and resuming aggression.

International Reaction

Another parallel deal apparently would grant Ukraine with a similar to NATO security guarantee, in which any subsequent "major, planned, and ongoing armed attack" by Russia on the country "would be considered as an attack threatening the stability and safety of the transatlantic community." That suggests a defense action. However different from a capable national defense – Ukraine's primary defense against renewed hostilities – the credibility of the parallel accord would depend on the dedication of Nato leaders, such as the US administration, to act militarily to Russia's aggression, something they have {not