The US plan to end the war in Ukraine is facing serious criticism among Washington's traditional allies. A number of American and German media outlets have also criticized Donald Trump for his plan to conclude a deal at any cost within 100 days of the start of his term. Many believe that this deal will set a dangerous precedent for the ambitions of other autocratic leaders to seize foreign territory and violate international law. "Now every country bordering Russia will have to live in a world in which Moscow is authorized to try to seize the territory of its neighbors if it wishes", writes the American publication "The Atlantic".
"Stillbirth plan", "capitulation to Russian demands"
"Putin is rewarded, Ukraine is abandoned", comments Barbara Yortel on the pages of the German "Tageszeitung". According to the author, Washington's current proposal is undoubtedly positive for the Kremlin - "Vladimir Putin's aggressive war is clearly paying off". "Ukraine, or rather what is left of it, has been thrown at the feet of the Europeans," writes Yortel.
Reinhard Weser of the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" (FAZ) also criticized the US plan to end hostilities in Ukraine, calling it "stillborn" and supporting "the Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin". According to the German journalist, Donald Trump is not even trying to put serious pressure on the Kremlin. "Trump could do it if he demonstrated Washington's capabilities: more military support for Ukraine and tougher sanctions against Russia. Instead, the US authorities are practicing preliminary submission, accepting Moscow's key demands without Vladimir Putin providing anything in return."
Trump's plan also helps Russia economically - the sanctions, which were first imposed in 2014 and significantly strengthened after 2022, will be completely eased, notes "The Atlantic". This means that confiscated Russian assets will be returned to Russia, and the country's military economy will be able to be heavily supported by China and perhaps even by American companies. A ceasefire under these conditions would allow Russia to begin rebuilding its army after the horrific losses in the war in Ukraine.
In such a situation, Putin has no reason to give up his old demands, Weser also writes on the pages of FACS. Therefore, "Washington's statement that it will end its mediation efforts if the two warring parties do not accept its proposals only causes an ironic smile in Moscow", the German journalist commented. If Washington abandons its mediation role, the Kremlin loses nothing. Ukraine loses, as it is left without the US military support that is vital to Kiev.
As a result of these events, the FACS columnist predicts, the rift in the Western alliance will deepen even further. "And from Putin's point of view, this is also profitable: Trump undermines trust in the United States by showing how easily he can be led by the nose," Reinhard Weser summarizes.
"The"peace plan" presented by Donald Trump is a kind of capitulation to Russian demands, writes the American publication Axios. And the German "Die Welt" notes that a deal in which the US agrees to recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea is not a recipe for a sustainable peace solution, as the Trump administration claims, but rather creates an incentive for Moscow to continue its colonial expansionist policy. "This sets a precedent and encourages further imperialist wars by Moscow."
"The proposal is so pro-Russian that it looks as if Washington wants to lead Kiev into a pre-prepared trap to blame President Volodymyr Zelensky for the failure of peace talks - because such a plan can only be rejected by Ukraine. And that would give the Trump administration a pretext to permanently cut off aid to Ukraine, lift sanctions against Moscow and return to normal relations with Russia," commented "Die Welt" and concluded: "Trump seems to be seeking to join the club of revisionist great powers who want to divide the world among themselves. If Europe does not want to become a victim of this new club, it must stand together with Ukraine against this plan for capitulation".
"It's like asking the US to hand over Hawaii to China"
The transfer of the Crimean peninsula to Russia, among other things, contradicts the constitution of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also referred to it when he once again emphasized that Kiev would not agree to this condition. In essence, the US's behavior means one thing - Washington is abandoning Ukraine.
Trump's unilateral plan gives Russian President Putin everything he wants and Ukraine nothing substantial: Russia gets all the land it has conquered through its invasions since 2014, and Ukraine will have to recognize Russian control over Crimea - in violation of specific provisions of the Ukrainian constitution. "So Trump is effectively asking a democratic country that longed to be an ally of the United States to cede its claims to some of its most important strategic territories to a bloodthirsty dictator," writes the American "Atlantic" and adds: "It's like another country asking the United States to cede Hawaii to China."
Under current conditions, Ukraine's future seems to be determined by a coin toss: heads - Ukraine loses, tails - Russia wins, concludes the American publication.