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Initially, Trump appeared to adopt a resolute approach concerning the Ukrainian conflict. After issuing statements of "serious ramifications" in August should Russia's president continued hindering peace discussions, the former president finally introduced major penalties on the Russian two largest petroleum corporations, Lukoil and Rosneft. This action substantially affected the Russian leader's ability to finance his war effort in Ukraine.

But, via his latest comprehensive peace proposal for Ukraine, reportedly developed by American and Russian diplomats without Ukrainian or European involvement, the former president has clearly gone back to his Russia-friendly stance.

Favoring Aggression

The former president's plan would essentially favor the Russian leader for attacking Ukraine while placing the country's political freedom in danger. Despite strong declarations that "The nation's autonomy will be upheld", significant aspects of the plan effectively compromise that very independence. Seen as a Kremlin dream would probably be a catastrophe for the nation.

Demonstrating his business experience, the former president continues to treat the Ukrainian conflict as a simple land disagreement, as if ceding Putin a part of Ukrainian land will satisfy the president. Yet, Putin's war is not simply about occupying a damaged swath of industrial-devastated territory in the Donbas region. It is about the nation's democratic governance – and the Russian leader's obvious intention to weaken it so it stops serves as an appealing standard for the Russia's population of the responsible governance that his increasing dictatorship prevents them.

Land Giveaways

Although freezing in position the currently divided oblasts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the proposal would compel the nation to abandon the whole this eastern territory. Aside from rewarding the Russian Federation with area that its forces have been unsuccessful to occupy in exceeding a lengthy period of warfare, this giveaway would leave Ukrainian military defenses dangerously undermined.

Donetsk is the place of Ukraine's much-vaunted "defensive line", the well-established protective structures that constitute a essential barrier to Russian advances. Trump would have the Ukrainian military leave these fortifications, giving Russian forces a clear path to the capital if he subsequently decide to resume the war.

Armed Forces Limitations

Furthermore, in a step that would make renewed conflict easier for the Russian military, Trump would mandate Ukraine to reduce the numbers of its armed forces from their present large number troops to a maximum of 600,000. Importantly, Trump's initiative imposes no such limits on the invading army.

In what appears as a gesture to Russia's efforts to portray Ukraine's democratically elected government as radicals, the plan asserts: "All Nazi ideology and activities must be condemned and banned." Apparently to emphasize this element, it demands that "The nation will hold elections in three months" of a truce. At the same time, Trump places no condition that the Russian leader risk his dictatorship by allowing elections in his own country.

Security Guarantees

Certainly, the plan has Russia pledge not to "invade other states" and to "establish in law its stance of non-violence towards Europe and Ukraine". However taking into account that the Russian leadership has breached comparable agreements in the previous instances – such as the 1994 Budapest memorandum, in which the Russian government pledged to recognize the nation's territorial integrity in return for giving up its Soviet-era atomic arms, and the 2014-2015 Minsk agreements, in which Russia agreed to a truce and a restoration of occupied territory in the region to the government – why should anyone believe Russia this time?

This explains the Ukrainian government has been so determined on international security guarantees. Although the plan promises a "decisive coordinated military response" if the Russian Federation restart its invasion, and includes that "Ukraine will receive reliable protection assurances", the specifics include vague to concerning. The initiative would not just prevent the nation accession to NATO but also prohibit member states from stationing forces on Ukraine's soil, thereby preventing the reassurance force, likely commanded by Britain and France, on which Ukraine had been counting to prevent Putin from rebuilding his weakened troops, re-equipping, and reinvading.

Global Response

A separate supplementary accord apparently would offer Ukraine with a alliance-like security guarantee, in which any later "significant, planned, and ongoing aggression" by Russia on the country "would be considered as an assault threatening the peace and security of the transatlantic community." This implies a military response. However unlike a strong Ukraine's armed forces – the nation's primary deterrent against renewed Russian aggression – the credibility of the parallel accord would rely on the willingness of Nato leaders, such as Trump, to respond militarily to Putin's hostilities, an action they have {not