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Initially, the former US president gave the impression to adopt a resolute position concerning Ukraine. After delivering warnings of "significant consequences" last August should Vladimir Putin persisted hindering truce negotiations, the former president ultimately enacted major sanctions on the Russian primary energy firms, these major energy companies. This move significantly impacted Putin's capacity to fund his aggression in Ukraine.

Yet, through his recently unveiled detailed peace proposal for Ukraine, reportedly created by American and Russian officials excluding Ukraine's or EU input, the former president has clearly returned to his pro-Putin stance.

Favoring Invasion

Trump's plan would effectively reward the Russian leader for attacking a sovereign nation while putting the country's democratic system in jeopardy. Despite bold statements that "Ukraine's sovereignty will be upheld", large portions of the plan in reality weaken that essential sovereignty. What represents a Russian ideal would probably be a catastrophe for the nation.

Demonstrating his corporate past, the former president continues to consider the situation in Ukraine as a mere border issue, as if handing Putin a portion of Ukrainian territory will satisfy the leader. However, Putin's war is not simply about controlling a damaged swath of economically weakened territory in eastern Ukraine. Instead, it's about Ukraine's democracy – and Putin's apparent intention to eliminate it so it no longer serves as an attractive model for the Russia's population of the democratic leadership that his growing authoritarian rule withholds them.

Land Surrenders

Although maintaining in place the presently divided oblasts of these areas, the plan would compel the nation to give up the entire Donetsk region. Beyond benefiting Russia with area that its troops have been failed to occupy in over a lengthy period of warfare, this concession would make Ukrainian defenses dangerously undermined.

The area is the site of the nation's highly-touted "stronghold system", the well-established military defenses that represent a key obstacle to invading forces. Trump would have Ukraine surrender these positions, providing Russian forces a clear path to the capital should he subsequently choose to resume the war.

Defense Restrictions

Additionally, in a move that would make renewed hostilities simpler for the Russian military, the plan would force the nation to diminish the scale of its troops from their present 800,000 to 850,000 soldiers to a maximum of this lower number. Significantly, Trump's plan places no equivalent limits on Russian forces.

In what appears as a accommodation to Putin's campaign to portray Ukraine's democratically elected administration as Nazis, the plan states: "Any extremist belief system and practices must be opposed and banned." Apparently to emphasize this point, it insists that "The nation will hold political contests in 100 days" of a peace deal. At the same time, the proposal sets no condition that Putin endanger his authoritarian rule by holding elections in Russia.

Security Assurances

To be sure, the proposal has the Russian Federation commit not to "enter bordering nations" and to "enshrine in regulation its policy of non-aggression towards the EU and Ukraine". But considering that Putin has violated similar accords in the history – such as the 1994 agreement, in which the Russian government promised to honor Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for relinquishing its historical nuclear arsenal, and the Minsk accords, in which Russia agreed to a halt in fighting and a restoration of captured land in the region to the government – why should the international community believe Putin now?

This explains the Ukrainian government has been so adamant on external defense commitments. While the proposal threatens a "immediate coordinated armed reaction" if Russia resume its military campaign, and includes that "The nation will receive strong defense commitments", the specifics vary from fuzzy to alarming. The plan would not just prevent Ukraine accession to NATO but also preclude Nato members from deploying troops on Ukraine's soil, thus blocking the security presence, reportedly commanded by the UK and France, on which the Ukrainian government had been relying to deter Putin from restoring his reduced military, re-equipping, and attacking again.

World Concern

A separate side agreement reportedly would provide the nation with a Nato-style protection assurance, in which any later "significant, intentional, and sustained aggression" by Russia on Ukraine "shall be regarded as an assault endangering the tranquility of the allied countries." This implies a military response. Yet in contrast to a capable Ukrainian military – Ukraine's primary defense against renewed Russian aggression – the success of the side agreement would rely on the commitment of alliance members, including Trump, to act militarily to Putin's hostilities, an action they have {not