US President Donald Trump's peace efforts main objective is to end the war in Ukraine, regardless of what the peace agreement might look like, Politico reports. This suggests that the speed of resolving the conflict is a higher priority for the US leader than the outcome the agreement might bring for Ukraine.
Previously, the US attempted to pressure Kyiv into accepting a deal during its peace initiatives, at a time when Russia launched 22 missiles and over 400 drones against the Ukrainian capital.
The original plan included Ukraine ceding Donetsk Oblast and abandoning NATO membership aspirations, offering only vague security guarantees against further Russian aggression. The plan has since undergone revisions.
The pressure on Kyiv risks undermining ability to make independent decisions
Trump will sign an agreement that stops the war, and any deal both sides can agree on as quickly as possible, said a senior White House official, speaking anonymously about ongoing peace negotiations.
“The ultimate goal is peace. That’s the most important thing that can be achieved here. Stop the fighting, stop the killing. Those are the main things he wants out of this,” the official added.
Along with the initial US proposal, based on a Russian-prepared document delivered to American officials during a meeting in Miami, came pressure on Ukraine. The US requested Kyiv’s signature on a document that has been described as a path to capitulation.
If Ukraine refused, Washington could halt the delivery of weapons funded by NATO under the PURL initiative. Critical intelligence, which helps Ukraine track Russian ballistic missiles, was also at stake.
Secret Miami meeting, Russian document, US pressure: How did Kremlin’s terms reached Kyiv as “peace plan”?
Potential legitimization of aggressor
Several senators, including Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Mike Rounds (R-SD), condemned the proposal.
“Those who think pressuring the victim and appeasing the aggressor will bring peace are kidding themselves,” McConnell posted on X this week.
At the same time, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly confirmed Trump’s desire to continue talks between the parties without pursuing a particular outcome beyond peace.
Civilian casualties and a coinciding corruption scandal during “fast peace” attempts
White House officials noted last week that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is politically weakened in Ukraine due to a growing corruption scandal involving his inner circle.
The investigation coincided with the release of the Russian-authored peace plan. There were concerns that a weakened Zelenskyy might lack the political capital to refuse a bad peace deal for Ukraine.
Recently, a European delegation presented a counter-proposal that maintained the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO and demanded a ceasefire before any territorial negotiations.
Russia has already deemed this updated plan unacceptable. It subsequently launched an attack on Kyiv, killing seven people in a residential neighborhood and near a large distribution terminal of the Novus supermarket chain, built with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development funds.
