Donbass and Crimea in exchange for peace. This is what Donald Trump is supposed to be planning for the Ukraine war if he is re-elected. Now the Kremlin is reacting.
Moscow – Former US President Donald Trump is running again as a candidate in the upcoming US presidential election. How would the Republican address the current geopolitical crises if re-elected? Earlier this year, Trump boasted that he could end the Ukraine war in 24 hours. How exactly remained unclear at first. The
Washington Post
now made the Republican's alleged plans public - and the reaction from Moscow followed promptly.
This is how Trump presumably wants to end the Ukraine war: Kremlin reacts
As the
Washington Post
reported this week, citing insiders, Trump's proposal is for Ukraine to cede Crimea and Donbass to Russia. That would be a drastic departure from previous US policy. Another point in the Republican’s alleged “peace plan”: limiting NATO expansion. A spokesman for Trump's campaign dismissed the report as "fake news," the
New York Post
reported.
Russia was initially cautious about the alleged proposal. The Kremlin is aware of the speculation about Trump's intentions, the Kremlin press office said in response to a query from the US magazine
Newsweek
. So far, however, “no initiatives have been announced by Donald Trump.” Without further details and confirmation, the alleged plan would be “impossible” to evaluate, Moscow said.
Last Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made it clear in a speech: “If Ukraine loses this war, other countries will be attacked. That's a fact.” Experts emphasize that Trump's alleged idea would reward Russian President Vladimir Putin and condone the violation of internationally recognized territory.
How NATO and Co. are preparing for a possible re-election of Trump
Republicans in Congress have been blocking aid to Ukraine for months under pressure from Trump. NATO is therefore already working on making the Ukraine aid “Trump-proof”. As Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg suggested at the start of the foreign ministers' meeting of NATO members last week, the defense alliance should in future take on more responsibility in coordinating arms deliveries and training. So far, the USA has been leading the coordination. Stoltenberg also proposed a 100 billion euro Ukraine fund for the next five years.
In Washington, diplomats from Europe are apparently also working hard to arrange meetings with Trump allies, CNN reported on Thursday. The aim is to obtain information about Trump's political intentions and his possible personnel decisions in the event of re-election. NATO chief Stoltenberg spoke to the Republican think tank Heritage Foundation in Washington in January. This was an attempt to reach Republicans, CNN said, citing insider reports. Because Trump is critical of the defense alliance. If you don't pay, you won't get US protection, the Republican said in February, thereby weakening NATO.
Recently, the Italian newspaper
La Repubblica
speculated that NATO could offer Ukraine cessions of territory in exchange for NATO membership as a peace solution.