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Initially, the former US president gave the impression to adopt a firm approach regarding Ukraine. After delivering statements of "severe repercussions" last August in case Putin persisted hindering peace talks, the former president finally introduced considerable restrictions on Russia's primary energy firms, these major energy companies. This action substantially impacted the Russian leader's ability to support his war effort in the region.

Yet, via his newly presented comprehensive peace initiative for the conflict, which was drafted by both nations' representatives without Ukraine's or European participation, Trump has clearly reverted to his pro-Putin stance.

Benefiting Aggression

The former president's plan would in practice benefit Putin for occupying Ukraine while leaving Ukraine's political freedom in jeopardy. Despite ringing declarations that "The nation's independence will be affirmed", much of the plan effectively compromise that essential autonomy. Seen as a Moscow's wish would probably be a disaster for Ukraine.

Demonstrating his corporate past, the former president seems to treat the Ukrainian conflict as a basic territorial dispute, as if giving Putin a section of Ukraine's land will appease the ruler. But, Putin's military campaign is not only about dominating a damaged swath of industrial-devastated territory in the Donbas region. Rather, it is about Ukraine's democratic governance – and Putin's obvious intention to destroy it so it stops functions as an appealing example for the Russian people of the responsible leadership that his deepening dictatorship prevents them.

Border Concessions

Although freezing in place the currently separated regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, Trump's proposal would require the nation to abandon all of Donetsk region. In addition to favoring Russia with area that its forces have been failed to seize in over a ten years of conflict, this surrender would make Ukrainian defensive positions severely compromised.

Donetsk is the site of Ukraine's highly-touted "fortress belt", the entrenched military defenses that represent a key impediment to invading forces. Trump would have Ukraine surrender these defenses, giving Russian forces a unobstructed path to Kyiv if he eventually opt to resume the conflict.

Armed Forces Limitations

Then, in a action that would facilitate additional hostilities easier for Russia, the plan would force Ukraine to reduce the size of its military from their present approximately 800,000 personnel to a maximum of six hundred thousand. Importantly, Trump's proposal places no similar restrictions on Russian forces.

In what appears as a concession to Russia's attempts to characterize Ukraine's chosen by the people administration as extremists, Trump's proposal states: "Every Nazi doctrine and practices must be rejected and banned." Apparently to underscore this aspect, it insists that "Ukraine will hold political contests in three months" of a peace deal. However, Trump sets no condition that the Russian leader endanger his authoritarian rule by allowing democratic processes in his own country.

Protection Commitments

Certainly, the plan makes Russia commit not to "attack neighboring countries" and to "enshrine in regulation its policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine". However taking into account that the Russian leadership has broken similar agreements in the history – for example the Budapest accord, in which the Russian government promised to recognize Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for relinquishing its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal, and the previous peace deals, in which Russia agreed to a truce and a handback of seized land in eastern Ukraine to Ukrainian control – why should the international community have confidence in Russia now?

That is why Ukraine has been so insistent on western protection assurances. Although the proposal threatens a "strong coordinated armed reaction" should the Russian Federation restart its aggression, and provides that "Ukraine will receive strong protection assurances", the specifics range from fuzzy to concerning. The initiative would not only deny the nation Nato membership but also preclude Nato members from stationing military personnel on the nation's land, effectively precluding the peacekeeping contingent, presumptively led by the UK and France, on which Ukraine had been depending to prevent Putin from rebuilding his diminished troops, re-equipping, and reinvading.

World Response

An additional supplementary accord according to sources would provide Ukraine with a alliance-like protection assurance, in which any later "significant, planned, and continuous aggression" by the Russian Federation on Ukraine "shall be regarded as an attack endangering the peace and security of the transatlantic community." This implies a armed reaction. But different from a strong Ukrainian military – Ukraine's best protection against renewed hostilities – the success of the side agreement would depend on the dedication of alliance members, including the US administration, to respond through arms to Russia's hostilities, something they have {not