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At first, the former US president seemed to embrace a resolute stance concerning Ukraine. After issuing warnings of "significant consequences" last August in case Russia's president continued blocking ceasefire discussions, he finally imposed major penalties on Russia's primary petroleum corporations, Lukoil and Rosneft. This move seriously affected Putin's capacity to support his military invasion in Ukraine.

However, via his latest 28-point peace proposal for Ukraine, which was drafted by American and Russian representatives without Ukraine's or EU involvement, the former president has seemingly reverted to his favorable to Russia position.

Rewarding Military Action

The former president's initiative would effectively favor Putin for invading Ukraine while leaving the country's political freedom in danger. Despite ringing statements that "Ukraine's autonomy will be upheld", much of the plan actually compromise that same independence. This constitutes a Russian ideal would certainly be a disaster for Ukraine.

Showing his business experience, Trump continues to view the Ukrainian conflict as a simple land disagreement, like giving Russia a portion of Ukraine's land will appease the president. Yet, Putin's invasion is not simply about controlling a charred region of economically weakened territory in the Donbas region. Rather, it is about the nation's democracy – and Putin's obvious desire to destroy it so it ceases to serves as an appealing model for the Russia's population of the democratic government that his deepening authoritarian rule withholds them.

Border Giveaways

Although freezing in position the already divided regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, Trump's plan would compel the nation to abandon all of Donetsk province. In addition to favoring Russia with territory that its forces have been failed to seize in over a decade of fighting, this concession would leave Ukraine's defenses severely compromised.

This region is the site of the nation's highly-touted "defensive line", the fortified defensive positions that are a essential impediment to invading forces. Trump would have Ukraine surrender these positions, giving Putin a open path to the capital if he later opt to renew the conflict.

Military Reductions

Additionally, in a move that would facilitate future hostilities easier for the Russian military, the plan would mandate the nation to cut the size of its military from their present 800,000 to 850,000 troops to a limit of 600,000. Significantly, Trump's plan places no equivalent limits on the invading army.

Apparently as a gesture to Putin's campaign to portray Ukraine's legitimate administration as Nazis, Trump's plan declares: "All Nazi doctrine and activities must be rejected and forbidden." Seemingly to emphasize this aspect, it requires that "Ukraine will hold political contests in three months" of a truce. However, the proposal imposes no condition that the Russian leader jeopardize his dictatorship by holding elections in his own country.

Security Guarantees

Admittedly, the initiative has the Russian Federation promise not to "invade other states" and to "enshrine in law its position of non-aggression towards the EU and Ukraine". But considering that the Russian leadership has broken comparable agreements in the history – such as the 1994 agreement, in which the Russian government committed to recognize the nation's borders in exchange for relinquishing its former Soviet nuclear weapons, and the 2014-2015 Minsk agreements, in which Moscow committed to a ceasefire and a handback of occupied land in the Donbas to the government – why should we have confidence in Russia now?

For this reason the Ukrainian government has been so adamant on international security guarantees. Although the proposal warns of a "immediate unified military response" should Russia restart its aggression, and states that "Ukraine will receive reliable protection assurances", the specifics include fuzzy to alarming. The proposal would not just prevent Ukraine alliance membership but also prohibit alliance nations from stationing troops on Ukraine's soil, effectively blocking the reassurance force, reportedly headed by Britain and France, on which the Ukrainian government had been relying to prevent Russia from replenishing his reduced troops, restocking, and reinvading.

World Concern

A separate side agreement according to sources would provide the nation with a Nato-style security guarantee, in which any subsequent "serious, intentional, and ongoing military assault" by the Russian Federation on the country "will be treated as an attack threatening the stability and safety of the transatlantic community." This indicates a military response. But unlike a powerful national defense – the nation's primary deterrent against future invasion – the credibility of the supplementary deal would rely on the willingness of Nato leaders, such as Trump, to respond through arms to Putin's aggression, an action they have {not