Donald Trump believes he can end the war between Ukraine and Russia. If he becomes US president again in November, with elections for the White House, he believes he can achieve his goal by persuading Ukraine to cede part of its territory. That's the scenario painted by The Washington Post, based on information provided by people familiar with the “plan.”
And in the details, according to the newspaper. Trump's proposal requires Ukraine to accept ceding Crimea and Donbass. Such an approach, which the former president had already discussed in secret meetings with his advisers, would represent a radical shift compared to the line President Joe Biden's administration has taken so far.
What Trump says in public
In recent months, Trump has repeatedly said that he is convinced that he has a quick solution to end the conflict. He repeatedly said: “Peace will be reached within 24 hours,” sparking angry reactions, especially from Ukrainian President Volodymyr. Zelensky, who invited the businessman to Ukraine and urged him to verify directly, through a visit to the front, Vladimir Putin's readiness to negotiate.
In March, the businessman said in one of his last interviews: “I would like to say certain things to each of them, which I would not say to the rest of the world, and that is why I cannot say more.”
What does Trump say behind the scenes?
According to the Washington Post, Trump privately said that Russia and Ukraine “want to save face but want a way out.” According to the former president, who aims to weaken ties between Russia and China, residents living in some regions of Ukraine will willingly accept a transition process under Moscow's authority and control.
Some Trump supporters stressed that reaching an agreement on this basis would ultimately legitimize Russian aggression and Putin's approach.. “I spent 100 percent of my time talking to Trump about Ukraine,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said. He says that Putin “must pay the price: he cannot emerge victorious from all of this.”
Russia has annexed territory it seized from Ukraine in the war that began more than two years ago, bypassing the Donbass region. Zelensky has so far always stated that Ukraine will not accept territorial sacrifice as a conclusion to the conflict, and has repeatedly pointed to Crimea as a target that must be restored.
Trump's role before the elections
Officially, the Trump campaign has not confirmed the plan. “All of the speculation regarding President Trump’s plan comes from anonymous and uninformed sources who have no idea what is happening and what will happen,” campaign spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt said in a statement. “President Trump is the only one talking about stopping the killing.”
Trump's character has already become central more than 6 months after the electionAs evidenced by the opposition of a wing of the Republican Party to granting approval to provide more aid to Ukraine. Kiev is awaiting Congress's approval of the $60 billion package, which has been stalled in Washington for months. The Senate has given the green light, but the House of Representatives has not yet begun the process.
Zelensky reiterates daily the vital importance of supplies from Western partners, and the cessation of US aid has clear consequences in the theater of war: Ukraine has been forced to retreat and retreat to the east, while Russia is bombarding cities day after day – with Kharkiv in particular in the crosshairs – with raids Increasingly intense.