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Initially, Trump appeared to embrace a resolute approach on Ukraine. After making threats of "serious consequences" last August should Russia's president carried on hindering ceasefire discussions, he ultimately introduced substantial penalties on Russia's biggest oil companies, these major energy companies. This move significantly hindered Putin's capacity to fund his aggression in Ukraine.

However, through his latest comprehensive peace initiative for Ukraine, that was created by US and Russian representatives without Ukraine's or EU involvement, the former president has apparently gone back to his favorable to Russia position.

Benefiting Aggression

Trump's initiative would essentially benefit Putin for attacking Ukraine while placing the country's democratic system in jeopardy. Despite ringing declarations that "The nation's independence will be affirmed", large portions of the plan actually undermine that essential independence. This constitutes a Moscow's wish would certainly be a Ukrainian nightmare.

Demonstrating his corporate background, the former president continues to view the situation in Ukraine as a mere land disagreement, like handing Putin a part of Ukrainian land will satisfy the president. However, Russia's war is not merely about occupying a damaged region of economically weakened territory in eastern Ukraine. It is about Ukraine's democracy – and Putin's apparent goal to destroy it so it ceases to serves as an enticing model for the Russia's population of the responsible leadership that his increasing dictatorship prevents them.

Land Surrenders

Although freezing in status the currently divided Ukrainian provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the initiative would compel Ukraine to surrender the whole Donetsk region. In addition to rewarding Russia with area that its forces have been unsuccessful to capture in exceeding a decade of warfare, this surrender would leave Ukrainian military defenses dangerously weakened.

Donetsk is the location of Ukraine's highly-touted "fortress belt", the entrenched military defenses that represent a essential obstacle to Russian advances. Trump would have the Ukrainian military abandon these positions, leaving Putin a unobstructed way to the capital in case he subsequently opt to renew the hostilities.

Armed Forces Reductions

Furthermore, in a step that would enable additional conflict simpler for the Russian military, Trump would mandate the nation to cut the size of its military from their present approximately 800,000 troops to a maximum of this lower number. Importantly, the initiative sets no equivalent limits on Russian forces.

Apparently as a gesture to Putin's campaign to characterize the nation's legitimate government as extremists, the proposal asserts: "All extremist ideology and activities must be rejected and banned." Seemingly to underscore this aspect, it requires that "The nation will hold elections in this period" of a truce. Meanwhile, Trump places no requirement that the Russian leader risk his dictatorship by conducting votes in his own country.

Defense Guarantees

Certainly, the initiative has the Russian Federation promise not to "attack neighboring countries" and to "establish in legislation its stance of peaceful relations towards Europe and the Ukrainian people". Yet considering that the Russian leadership has breached comparable agreements in the past – such as the Budapest accord, in which Russia committed to honor Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for surrendering its former Soviet atomic arms, and the Minsk accords, in which Moscow promised to a truce and a restoration of seized territory in the region to Ukrainian control – how should anyone have confidence in Russia now?

This explains the Ukrainian government has been so adamant on western protection assurances. Although the proposal threatens a "immediate unified military response" in case Russia restart its aggression, and provides that "Ukraine will receive strong defense commitments", the specifics include unclear to concerning. The initiative would not only deny Ukraine Nato membership but also preclude Nato members from deploying forces on the nation's land, thereby preventing the reassurance force, reportedly headed by Britain and France, on which Ukraine had been counting to stop Putin from replenishing his weakened troops, restocking, and attacking again.

World Reaction

Another side agreement apparently would offer Ukraine with a Nato-style security guarantee, in which any later "major, deliberate, and continuous military assault" by the Russian Federation on Ukraine "shall be regarded as an assault jeopardizing the tranquility of the allied countries." This implies a military response. Yet different from a capable Ukraine's armed forces – the nation's most reliable defense against renewed hostilities – the success of the side agreement would rely on the willingness of alliance members, including the US administration, to respond through arms to Russia's aggression, an action they have {not