Trump’s Ukraine Offer: Give Up Some Land Or Us Leaves Peace Talks

AFTER CAMPAIGNING ON A PROMISE TO END THE WAR IN UKRAINE IN 24 HOURS, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION  MAY WALK AWAY FROM PEACE TALKS UNLESS BOTH RUSSIA AND UKRAINE ACCEPT THE WHITE HOUSE’S LATEST PROPOSAL.

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE SAID THE U.S. LAID OUT A “VERY EXPLICIT” DEAL — AND IT’S NOW UP TO MOSCOW AND KYIV TO DECIDE. SPEAKING DURING A VISIT TO INDIA, VANCE SAID WASHINGTON DID THE DIPLOMATIC WORK, BUT WITHOUT COOPERATION, IT’S PREPARED TO STEP BACK.

TRUMP’S PROPOSAL WOULD FREEZE TERRITORIAL LINES NEAR CURRENT FRONT LINES — HALTING THE WAR WITHOUT FORCING EITHER SIDE TO RETREAT. VANCE CALLED IT FAIR — BUT SAID THE TIME FOR COMPROMISE IS NOW.

SO — WHAT ELSE IS IN THE DEAL?

ACCORDING TO THE FINANCIAL TIMES, THE PLAN INCLUDES U.S. RECOGNITION OF CRIMEA AS RUSSIAN TERRITORY AND ACCEPTANCE OF RUSSIA’S CONTROL OVER PARTS OF DONETSK, LUHANSK, ZAPORIZHZHIA, AND KHERSON — ALL AREAS MOSCOW HAS OCCUPIED SINCE ITS FULL-SCALE INVASION IN 2022.

UKRAINE WOULD DROP ITS BID TO JOIN NATO, THOUGH EU MEMBERSHIP WOULD REMAIN ON THE TABLE. IN RETURN, THE U.S. WOULD LIFT POST-2014 SANCTIONS AND EXPAND ECONOMIC TIES WITH MOSCOW.

THE PLAN OFFERS UKRAINE LIMITED CONCESSIONS, NCLUDING PART OF KHARKIV, ACCESS TO THE DNIPRO RIVER AND RECONSTRUCTION AID. BUT KEY ENFORCEMENT DETAILS REMAIN UNCLEAR.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY REJECTED THE PLAN. HE SAID THERE’S “NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT” WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING UP TERRITORY. STILL, KYIV SENT A DELEGATION TO LONDON FOR SCALED-BACK TALKS AFTER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO AND SPECIAL ENVOY STEVE WITKOFF CANCELED THEIR PARTICIPATION. THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTED WITKOFF IS STILL EXPECTED TO VISIT MOSCOW.

AS FOR RUSSIA, PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN REPORTEDLY OFFERED TO FREEZE MILITARY ADVANCES ALONG THE CURRENT FRONT LINE. HE ALSO PROPOSED GIVING UP CLAIMS TO SOME AREAS STILL UNDER KYIV’S CONTROL, BUT ONLY IF THE U.S. AGREES TO BROADER CONCESSIONS, INCLUDING THE ROLLBACK OF NATO INFLUENCE AND FORMAL RECOGNITION OF ANNEXED TERRITORY.

WHILE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL UNDERWAY, VANCE WARNED U.S. PATIENCE IS RUNNING OUT.

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