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At first, Donald Trump appeared to take a resolute stance regarding the Ukrainian conflict. After delivering threats of "severe ramifications" during the summer in case Vladimir Putin continued hindering peace talks, Trump eventually introduced major penalties on the Russian two largest petroleum corporations, these major energy companies. This action substantially impacted the Russian leader's capability to fund his military invasion in the region.

However, via his recently unveiled comprehensive peace initiative for the conflict, reportedly drafted by US and Russian representatives lacking Ukrainian or EU participation, the former president has seemingly gone back to his favorable to Russia approach.

Rewarding Aggression

This plan would essentially benefit Putin for attacking Ukraine while placing the country's democracy in peril. Although strong proclamations that "The nation's autonomy will be affirmed", large portions of the proposal actually compromise that same autonomy. Seen as a Kremlin dream would likely be a catastrophe for the nation.

Demonstrating his corporate background, the former president continues to view the war as a basic territorial dispute, like handing Putin a part of Ukrainian territory will satisfy the president. But, Russia's invasion is not simply about controlling a charred swath of deindustrialized territory in eastern Ukraine. Rather, it is about the nation's democratic governance – and the Russian leader's apparent intention to weaken it so it no longer functions as an enticing standard for the Russia's population of the responsible government that Putin's deepening autocracy withholds them.

Border Surrenders

While maintaining in status the already divided regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, Trump's initiative would force the nation to abandon the whole Donetsk region. Aside from rewarding Russia with land that its forces have been unable to capture in more than a ten years of fighting, this giveaway would leave Ukraine's military defenses critically weakened.

Donetsk is the site of Ukraine's well-known "stronghold system", the entrenched protective structures that represent a essential impediment to enemy progress. The proposal would have the Ukrainian military leave these defenses, providing Russian forces a open route to the capital in case he subsequently opt to restart the war.

Armed Forces Reductions

Then, in a move that would make future hostilities more feasible for the Russian military, Trump would mandate Ukraine to cut the numbers of its armed forces from their present large number personnel to a cap of 600,000. Significantly, Trump's initiative imposes no such limits on Russian forces.

Seemingly as a concession to Putin's efforts to characterize Ukraine's chosen by the people administration as radicals, Trump's proposal declares: "All Nazi doctrine and activities must be opposed and prohibited." As if to emphasize this aspect, it insists that "Ukraine will hold democratic votes in this period" of a ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, Trump imposes no condition that the Russian leader jeopardize his regime by conducting votes in his own country.

Defense Guarantees

To be sure, the proposal includes Russia promise not to "attack bordering nations" and to "enshrine in legislation its position of non-violence towards the EU and Ukraine". Yet taking into account that Putin has broken similar accords in the previous instances – including the Budapest accord, in which the Russian government committed to respect the nation's sovereignty in exchange for surrendering its Soviet-era nuclear weapons, and the Minsk accords, in which Russia promised to a truce and a handback of seized land in eastern Ukraine to the government – how should we trust Putin now?

This explains the Ukrainian government has been so insistent on international protection assurances. While the plan threatens a "strong unified military response" if the Russian Federation restart its invasion, and states that "Ukraine will receive reliable protection assurances", the particulars vary from vague to troubling. The proposal would not just prevent the nation Nato membership but also preclude Nato members from positioning troops on Ukraine's soil, effectively precluding the peacekeeping contingent, reportedly commanded by European powers, on which the Ukrainian government had been depending to deter Russia from rebuilding his reduced troops, rearming, and attacking again.

International Reaction

A separate parallel deal according to sources would grant the nation with a alliance-like defense commitment, in which any subsequent "significant, intentional, and ongoing aggression" by the Russian Federation on Ukraine "shall be regarded as an assault jeopardizing the peace and security of the transatlantic community." This indicates a defense action. But in contrast to a strong national defense – the nation's primary protection against additional invasion – the credibility of the supplementary deal would depend on the willingness of Nato leaders, including Trump, to respond with force to Russia's aggression, a response they have {not