Trump Backs Plan to Cede Land for Peace in Ukraine
After meeting the Russian president, President Trump told European leaders he now favors giving up unoccupied Ukrainian land to Russia to end the fighting, a concession Ukraine has long opposed.
After meeting the Russian president, President Trump told European leaders he now favors giving up unoccupied Ukrainian land to Russia to end the fighting, a concession Ukraine has long opposed.
www.nytimes.com
“… Mr. Trump told European leaders, that he believed a rapid peace deal could be negotiated if Mr. Zelensky agrees to cede the rest of the Donbas region to Russia, even those areas not occupied by Russian troops, according to two senior European officials briefed on the call.
In return, Mr. Putin offered a cease-fire in the rest of Ukraine at current battle lines and a written promise not to attack Ukraine or any European country again, the senior officials said. He has broken similar promises before.
Mr. Trump had threatened stark economic penalties if Mr. Putin left the meeting without a deal to end the war, but, as European and Russian officials acknowledged, he suspended those threats in the wake of the summit.
… Still, in public statement, the European leaders praised Mr. Trump — in mellower terms than normal — for his efforts to broker peace, and in particular for his pledge to involve the United States in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security going forward.
… At a joint news conference after their meeting, Mr. Putin referred obliquely to agreements between Mr. Trump and himself, without elaborating, and added, “We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive that constructively and will not throw a wrench in the works.”
… Russia entered Friday’s
inconclusive talks with the United States from a position of strength on the battlefield in Ukraine. It is a position Russia is likely to keep exploiting, as President Trump on Saturday seemed to rule out any prospect of an imminent cease-fire.
The Russian Army has driven a wedge into Ukrainian defenses in the east, and Ukrainian officials have warned that Moscow has massed forces and equipment for new offensive operations.…”