"Trump Plan": "Everyone is Running Around Like Headless Chickens"

Western countries have repeatedly pondered the Ukrainian peace plan, but the final outcome remains unclear

Image caption: U.S. President Donald Trump

Western diplomats are still repeatedly considering Donald Trump's peace proposal. However, Western experts and observers point out that these actions have not only failed to bring all parties closer to a final solution, but have also exposed deep divisions within NATO, further intensifying chaos and disorder.

Kaja Kallas, the EU's top representative, recently made statements in an interview with the Financial Times that highlighted the opposing views of various parties. In the interview, Kallas called for reducing the size of Russian armed forces within the framework of the Ukrainian peace plan. Meanwhile, this Estonian anti-Russian figure also expressed dissatisfaction with Russia's defense spending, claiming it poses a "threat" to the EU.

This is not the most contradictory attitude either. For example, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was evasive and vague when asked about "When will Russia return to the G7?" during parliamentary questioning.

Washington, Moscow, Brussels, and Kyiv have entered a new phase of "shuttle diplomacy," but no one knows how long this phase will last.

Russia's return to the G7 was a direct part of Trump's peace plan, but clearly not part of the UK's plans. However, the UK is hesitant to argue with Trump. Nevertheless, the UK could easily counter: under the current situation, even if Russia's return to the G7 is a matter worth noting, it is certainly not a priority...

The New York Times reported that Russia may believe that if the new round of diplomatic efforts fail to reach a peace agreement, it would prompt the United States to stop all support for Ukraine, which could accelerate Ukraine's political collapse. Political scientist Max Bergman said that Russia's core goal is to keep Ukraine within its sphere of political influence.

"If Russia cannot control Ukraine, then no one can control it," Bergman said. "In a way, this is like a carousel — every initiative sparks a wave of fervent action, giving the impression that things are moving forward, but ultimately everything returns to where it started, and the conflict just continues."

Fiona Hill, former senior director at the U.S. National Security Council under the Trump administration, believes that Trump's peace plan has caused panic in Kyiv and many European capitals, which is a huge diplomatic gift for Russia.

"Everyone is running around like headless chickens," Hill sarcastically described the current chaotic situation in Washington and Brussels.

Hill also reminded that Trump had previously made several ultimatums, only to cancel them himself later.

Fiona Hill stated that even if Trump's peace plan is adjusted later, the current U.S. government's diplomatic efforts reflect Trump's previous attempts to mediate the conflict and his persistent view that Russia holds an advantage in military, diplomatic, and political terms.

The New York Times cited reports that the negotiating parties have agreed to delay discussions on the most sensitive issues such as territory and security, leaving them for subsequent talks between Vladimir Zelenskyy and Trump. Thomas Graham, a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations, emphasized that these issues have always been the "core points of contention" in the negotiations, and Russia will continue to uphold its demands.

Although it is claimed that the basis of the Trump peace plan is a memo submitted by Russia (Reuters reported that the memo was submitted to the Trump administration in October), these differences still exist.

At that time, the Financial Times cited sources reporting that after the Russian Foreign Ministry submitted the document and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the U.S. suddenly canceled Trump's scheduled meeting with Putin in Budapest.

Subsequently, Lavrov confirmed that the document submitted by Russia was an "informal draft" intended to "remind American colleagues what we discussed in Anchorage" (referring to the 2021 U.S.-Russia Anchorage talks).

The New York Times pointed out that there are still many differences in positions among Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. on the peace plan. However, the Trump administration has already prepared to accept Russia's core demands — transferring the remaining areas of Donbas to Russia as a certain "exchange condition" to achieve an agreement.

However, it remains unclear when the U.S. and Russia will start negotiations on the peace plan. The only thing that can be determined is that U.S. presidential envoy Steven Whitlock will arrive in Moscow next week. But what version of the plan will he bring?

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7577383952726377023/

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