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Initially, the former US president appeared to embrace a strong approach regarding the Ukrainian conflict. After making statements of "significant repercussions" during the summer if Putin persisted hindering ceasefire discussions, Trump eventually introduced major restrictions on Russia's two largest energy firms, these major energy companies. This action significantly affected Putin's capability to fund his war effort in Ukraine.

However, through his recently unveiled 28-point peace proposal for Ukraine, reportedly created by US and Russian officials lacking Ukraine's or EU input, he has clearly reverted to his pro-Putin stance.

Favoring Aggression

Trump's proposal would in practice benefit the Russian leader for attacking a sovereign nation while putting the country's democratic system in jeopardy. Despite ringing statements that "The nation's autonomy will be affirmed", large portions of the initiative effectively weaken that very sovereignty. Seen as a Kremlin dream would likely be a disaster for Ukraine.

Demonstrating his real-estate experience, Trump persists to view the Ukrainian conflict as a mere territorial dispute, like handing Putin a section of Ukraine's land will satisfy the leader. But, Russia's invasion is not simply about occupying a damaged region of economically weakened territory in Ukraine's east. It is about Ukraine's democracy – and Putin's apparent desire to destroy it so it stops serves as an appealing example for the Russian people of the responsible government that Putin's increasing authoritarian rule prevents them.

Territorial Giveaways

While freezing in status the presently divided oblasts of these areas, the proposal would require the nation to surrender all of Donetsk province. Beyond favoring the Russian Federation with territory that its troops have been unsuccessful to seize in over a decade of fighting, this surrender would make Ukrainian defensive positions dangerously weakened.

This region is the location of Ukraine's well-known "defensive line", the entrenched protective structures that are a critical barrier to invading forces. The proposal would have Ukraine surrender these positions, leaving Russian forces a open route to Kyiv should he subsequently choose to restart the hostilities.

Military Limitations

Furthermore, in a move that would enable future fighting simpler for Russia, the plan would mandate the nation to diminish the size of its military from their existing approximately 800,000 soldiers to a maximum of six hundred thousand. Significantly, the plan imposes no such constraints on the invading army.

In what appears as a gesture to Russia's efforts to depict the nation's chosen by the people government as radicals, the plan declares: "All extremist doctrine and practices must be rejected and prohibited." As if to underscore this point, it insists that "Ukraine will hold political contests in three months" of a peace deal. At the same time, Trump places no obligation that the Russian leader endanger his dictatorship by holding elections in his own country.

Security Assurances

Admittedly, the proposal makes Russia pledge not to "invade neighboring countries" and to "establish in legislation its policy of non-violence towards Europe and Ukraine". However considering that the Russian leadership has breached equivalent treaties in the history – including the 1994 agreement, in which Russia committed to recognize the nation's borders in return for relinquishing its historical atomic arms, and the 2014-2015 Minsk agreements, in which Moscow promised to a ceasefire and a restoration of occupied areas in eastern Ukraine to Ukrainian control – for what reason should anyone believe this commitment now?

For this reason Ukraine has been so insistent on international security guarantees. While the plan warns of a "decisive joint defense action" if the Russian Federation resume its military campaign, and includes that "The nation will receive dependable protection assurances", the particulars vary from unclear to alarming. The initiative would not only prevent the nation Nato membership but also preclude Nato members from deploying troops on the nation's land, effectively preventing the security presence, presumptively commanded by Britain and France, on which the Ukrainian government had been depending to stop Russia from replenishing his reduced troops, rearming, and resuming aggression.

Global Concern

A separate side agreement apparently would provide Ukraine with a similar to NATO security guarantee, in which any future "significant, planned, and sustained military assault" by the Russian Federation on the country "will be treated as an attack jeopardizing the tranquility of the Western nations." That suggests a defense action. However different from a strong Ukraine's armed forces – Ukraine's primary defense against additional hostilities – the credibility of the side agreement would depend on the willingness of alliance members, like the US administration, to act militarily to Russia's aggression, something they have {not