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A change in the White House? Donald Trump freezes military aid to Ukraine if Kiev refuses to negotiate peace with Russia

Moscow is expected to be lured to the negotiating table with the promise of Ukraine's NATO membership being delayed for an extended period

Jun 25, 2024 13:45 177

A change in the White House? Donald Trump freezes military aid to Ukraine if Kiev refuses to negotiate peace with Russia - 1

Two key advisers Donald Trump was presented with a plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, reports "Reuters".

It could be implemented if Trump wins the US presidential election.

According to the plan, Ukraine will receive more weapons from the US only if it starts peace talks.

In addition, the United States will warn Moscow that any refusal to negotiate will lead to an increase in its support for Ukraine, said Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, one of Trump's national security advisers.

The plan was drawn up by Kellogg and Fred Fleitz - both of whom served as Trump's National Security Council chiefs of staff during his 2017-2021 presidency.

A ceasefire is envisaged during the peace talks based on the delineated battle lines.

Fleitz said the two presented their strategy to Trump and the former president responded positively. "I'm not saying he agreed with every word of it, but we were happy with the feedback we got," he clarified.

Trump spokesman Stephen Cheung, however, clarified that only statements made by Trump or authorized members of his campaign should be considered official.

The strategy outlined by Kellogg and Fleitz is the most detailed yet from aides to Trump, who says he can quickly broker an end to the war in Ukraine if he defeats President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election, though he does not has revealed details.

The proposal would mark a dramatic shift in the US stance on the war and face opposition from European allies and within Trump's own Republican Party.

Kellogg said it will be critical to get Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table quickly if Trump wins the election.

"We are telling the Ukrainians: "You have to sit down at the table - if you don't, the support from the United States will dry up,'' he stressed. "Tell Russian President Vladimir Putin too: "He must sit at the table, if not, then we will give the Ukrainians everything they need to kill you on the battlefield.

Moscow is expected to be enticed to the negotiating table with the promise of Ukraine's NATO membership being delayed for an extended period.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Apart from some conquests by Russia in recent months, the front lines have hardly moved despite tens of thousands of dead on both sides in the relentless trench warfare - the bloodiest fighting in Europe since World War II world war.

Fleitz pointed out that according to their plan, Kiev should not officially cede territory to Russia. However, he believes that it is unlikely that Ukraine will regain effective control over its entire territory in the near future.

"Our concern is that this has become a war of attrition that will kill a whole generation of young men," Fleitz said.

Lasting peace in Ukraine will require additional security guarantees for the country, according to the two authors of the plan. Fleitz stated that "arming Ukraine to the teeth" is likely to be a key element of this.

"President Trump has repeatedly stated that a top priority in his second term will be to quickly negotiate an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war," Trump's spokesman Cheung noted. "The war between Russia and Ukraine would never have happened if Donald Trump had been president. It's so sad".

Biden's campaign claims that Trump does not want to oppose Putin.

"Donald Trump praises Vladimir Putin every chance he gets, and he's made it clear he won't stand up to Putin or stand up for democracy,'' campaign spokesman James Singer said.

Some Republicans would balk at paying for more resources to Ukraine under the plan. The US has spent over $70 billion in military aid to the country since the Russian invasion began.

"What Trump supporters want to do is cut aid, if not turn off the faucet," noted Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Earlier this month, Putin said the war could end if Ukraine agreed to abandon its ambitions to join NATO and hand over four areas in the east and south of its territory to Russia.

During a meeting of the UN Security Council last week, French and British ambassadors reiterated the view that peace can only be sought when Russia withdraws from Ukrainian territory - a position shared by Kiev.

Some analysts have expressed concern that Kellogg and Fleitz's plan could give Moscow the upper hand in the negotiations.

"What Kellogg is describing is a process aimed at Ukraine giving up all the territory that Russia now occupies," said Daniel Fried, a former assistant secretary of state who worked on Russia policy.

Last week, Trump ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine and expressed skepticism about its NATO membership. He indicated that he would quickly cut aid to the Eastern European country if elected.

For his part, Biden has consistently pushed for more aid to Ukraine, and his administration supports its eventual accession to NATO. Earlier in June, Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement.