"The Trump administration's new plan for Ukraine is apparently to reverse all the progress it has made there in recent months. And not just that-to create a much bigger strategic problem that will bedevil the administration for the next three years. The strangest part of all of this is that the plan emerged at a moment when Donald Trump's Ukraine policy had finally found its footing after a very turbulent start."
"As drafted, the plan would require Ukraine to give up territory and fortifications in the parts of the Donbas that it still controls, cut the size of its armed forces by half, abandon weaponry that Russia deems to be offensive (including long-range missiles), accept an end to U.S. military assistance, and agree to a ban on foreign troops on Ukrainian soil."
"Russia has demanded these concessions for years, but the Trump administration, to its credit, has rejected them before now. Earlier this year, President Trump floated a proposal that was tilted toward Moscow-freezing of the front lines, no NATO membership for Ukraine, U.S. recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, and a lifting of all sanctions on Russia-but stopped short of demanding that Ukraine give up additional territory or accept a unilateral demilitarization."
The new U.S. plan would force Ukraine to cede territory and fortifications in parts of the Donbas, halve its armed forces, abandon weaponry Russia labels offensive (including long-range missiles), end U.S. military assistance, and ban foreign troops on Ukrainian soil. The proposal offers an unclear U.S. security guarantee that would likely fall short of NATO-style mutual defense, thereby undermining the one meaningful deterrent: a strong and capable Ukraine. Russia has long sought these concessions, and earlier proposals leaned toward Moscow with frozen front lines, no NATO membership, and recognition of Crimea.
Read at The Atlantic
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