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For a brief period, Trump seemed to take a firm position regarding the Ukrainian conflict. Following delivering statements of "severe repercussions" during the summer in case Russia's president carried on obstructing truce talks, Trump eventually imposed substantial restrictions on Russia's biggest energy firms, Rosneft and Lukoil. This action substantially hindered Putin's ability to fund his aggression in Ukraine.

But, with his newly presented 28-point peace initiative for Ukraine, which was created by both nations' officials lacking Ukrainian or European input, Trump has seemingly gone back to his Russia-friendly approach.

Benefiting Aggression

Trump's plan would essentially benefit Putin for occupying a sovereign nation while placing the country's democracy in danger. Despite bold statements that "The nation's independence will be upheld", significant aspects of the proposal actually undermine that essential autonomy. What represents a Moscow's wish would certainly be a catastrophe for the nation.

Demonstrating his business background, the former president continues to view the war as a simple territorial dispute, implying ceding Russia a portion of Ukraine's territory will satisfy the leader. Yet, Russia's military campaign is not merely about occupying a charred area of industrial-devastated land in Ukraine's east. It is about the nation's democracy – and Putin's obvious intention to destroy it so it no longer acts as an enticing example for the Russian people of the democratic government that Putin's increasing authoritarian rule withholds them.

Territorial Concessions

Although keeping in place the currently divided Ukrainian provinces of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the initiative would require the nation to give up the whole Donetsk province. Beyond favoring the Russian Federation with land that its forces have been unable to capture in over a decade of conflict, this giveaway would make Ukrainian defenses critically undermined.

Donetsk is the site of the nation's well-known "stronghold system", the entrenched military defenses that constitute a critical impediment to invading forces. The proposal would have the Ukrainian military surrender these positions, giving Putin a unobstructed route to Kyiv in case he eventually choose to restart the war.

Military Restrictions

Additionally, in a move that would make renewed conflict easier for Russia, the plan would require the nation to diminish the scale of its military from their present 800,000 to 850,000 personnel to a maximum of 600,000. Significantly, the initiative places no such restrictions on the invading army.

In what appears as a accommodation to Putin's campaign to depict the nation's democratically elected government as radicals, the proposal states: "Every extremist doctrine and practices must be rejected and forbidden." Seemingly to highlight this aspect, it requires that "Ukraine will hold elections in this period" of a truce. At the same time, Trump imposes no requirement that the Russian leader jeopardize his regime by conducting votes in his own country.

Security Guarantees

Admittedly, the initiative makes Russia pledge not to "enter bordering nations" and to "incorporate in regulation its policy of peaceful relations towards Europe and Ukraine". However considering that the Russian leadership has breached similar agreements in the past – such as the 1994 agreement, in which Russia pledged to honor the nation's borders in return for relinquishing its historical atomic arms, and the previous peace deals, in which Moscow agreed to a truce and a handback of seized areas in the region to Kyiv – for what reason should anyone have confidence in Russia now?

This explains Ukraine has been so insistent on external security guarantees. While the initiative warns of a "strong coordinated armed reaction" should the Russian Federation resume its aggression, and states that "Ukraine will receive dependable protection assurances", the details include unclear to concerning. The proposal would not only block Ukraine alliance membership but also prohibit member states from deploying troops on the nation's land, thereby preventing the peacekeeping contingent, reportedly headed by Britain and France, on which Ukraine had been depending to stop Putin from restoring his weakened forces, restocking, and attacking again.

Global Concern

A separate side agreement apparently would offer Ukraine with a Nato-style security guarantee, in which any future "major, intentional, and ongoing military assault" by Russia on the country "shall be regarded as an assault threatening the peace and security of the Western nations." This indicates a defense action. However unlike a strong national defense – the nation's primary deterrent against renewed invasion – the effectiveness of the parallel accord would hinge on the dedication of Nato leaders, including the US administration, to act with force to Russia's hostilities, something they have {not