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For a brief period, Trump appeared to embrace a resolute stance concerning Ukraine. After making statements of "significant ramifications" during the summer should Russia's president continued blocking truce talks, he ultimately imposed substantial restrictions on Russia's primary energy firms, these major energy companies. This action significantly hindered Putin's capability to fund his war effort in Ukraine.

Yet, with his newly presented comprehensive peace plan for the conflict, that was created by American and Russian diplomats without Ukrainian or EU participation, the former president has clearly reverted to his Russia-friendly approach.

Rewarding Military Action

The former president's plan would effectively benefit Putin for occupying a sovereign nation while leaving the country's political freedom in danger. Despite ringing statements that "The nation's independence will be confirmed", significant aspects of the proposal in reality undermine that essential sovereignty. Seen as a Kremlin dream would likely be a Ukrainian nightmare.

Demonstrating his business background, the former president continues to view the war as a mere border issue, like ceding Putin a portion of Ukrainian land will appease the president. Yet, Russia's military campaign is not simply about controlling a charred swath of industrial-devastated area in the Donbas region. Instead, it's about Ukraine's democracy – and the Russian leader's apparent goal to eliminate it so it ceases to functions as an attractive standard for the Russia's population of the responsible governance that Putin's increasing autocracy prevents them.

Border Giveaways

Although keeping in place the currently split Ukrainian provinces of these areas, Trump's proposal would require Ukraine to surrender all of this eastern territory. Aside from rewarding the Russian Federation with area that its military have been failed to capture in exceeding a decade of warfare, this concession would render Ukrainian defenses severely undermined.

The area is the site of the nation's highly-touted "fortress belt", the well-established military defenses that constitute a essential impediment to invading forces. The proposal would have Ukraine leave these fortifications, giving Putin a open way to the capital if he subsequently opt to restart the hostilities.

Armed Forces Limitations

Then, in a move that would enable renewed hostilities more feasible for the Russian military, the plan would mandate Ukraine to diminish the numbers of its military from their present approximately 800,000 personnel to a maximum of this lower number. Notably, the proposal sets no equivalent restrictions on Russian forces.

Seemingly as a gesture to Russia's campaign to characterize the nation's democratically elected administration as Nazis, Trump's proposal declares: "Every extremist doctrine and activities must be rejected and banned." As if to underscore this element, it requires that "Ukraine will hold elections in 100 days" of a truce. Meanwhile, the proposal imposes no requirement that the Russian leader jeopardize his regime by conducting elections in his own country.

Defense Assurances

Admittedly, the proposal makes Russia promise not to "attack bordering nations" and to "incorporate in legislation its policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine". But taking into account that the Russian leadership has violated similar accords in the past – such as the Budapest accord, in which the Russian government pledged to honor the nation's borders in return for surrendering its former Soviet atomic arms, and the 2014-2015 Minsk agreements, in which Moscow promised to a truce and a return of seized areas in the region to Kyiv – for what reason should the international community have confidence in Russia this time?

That is why the Ukrainian government has been so insistent on external security guarantees. Although the plan threatens a "decisive unified defense action" if the Russian Federation restart its invasion, and states that "Ukraine will receive strong protection assurances", the particulars include unclear to alarming. The proposal would not only deny the nation alliance membership but also prohibit alliance nations from stationing troops on Ukraine's soil, thereby precluding the security presence, presumptively commanded by European powers, on which Ukraine had been counting to prevent Russia from rebuilding his weakened military, rearming, and attacking again.

International Concern

An additional parallel deal apparently would grant Ukraine with a Nato-style defense commitment, in which any subsequent "major, deliberate, and ongoing armed attack" by the Russian Federation on the country "shall be regarded as an act of war jeopardizing the stability and safety of the transatlantic community." That suggests a defense action. However different from a capable Ukraine's armed forces – Ukraine's most reliable defense against future invasion – the effectiveness of the parallel accord would rely on the dedication of Western powers, including the US administration, to act militarily to Putin's aggression, an action they have {not