Two key advisers to Donald Trump have put forward a plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine if he wins the presidential election, according to a Reuters report.
The plan involves telling Ukraine that it will only receive more US weapons if it enters peace talks with Russia. At the same time, the US would warn Moscow that refusing to negotiate would result in increased US support for Ukraine, said retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, one of Trump's national security advisers, in an interview.
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The plan proposes a ceasefire along current battle lines during peace talks
The plan, developed by Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, who served as chiefs of staff in Trump’s National Security Council during his previous presidency, calls for a ceasefire based on current battle lines as a prelude to peace talks.
They have presented this strategy to Trump, who responded positively, according to Fleitz. “I’m not claiming he agreed with it or agreed with every word of it, but we were pleased with the feedback we received,” he said.
However, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said that only statements made by Trump himself or authorized members of his campaign should be considered official.
The strategy proposed by Kellogg and Fleitz is the most detailed plan suggested by associates of Trump, who has previously claimed he could quickly end the war in Ukraine if elected without providing any specifics.
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This proposal would mark a significant shift in the US stance on the war and would likely face opposition from European allies and within Trump's own Republican Party.
According to Reuters, the core elements of the plan were detailed in a research paper published by the “America First Policy Institute,” a pro-Trump think tank in which both Kellogg and Fleitz hold leadership positions.
Kellogg stressed the importance of getting Russia and Ukraine to negotiate quickly if Trump wins the election. He said: “We tell the Ukrainians, ‘You’ve got to come to the table, and if you don’t, US support will dry up.’”
“And we tell Putin, 'You’ve got to come to the table, and if you don’t, we’ll give Ukrainians everything they need to defeat you on the battlefield.’”
The original research paper also suggests delaying NATO membership for Ukraine would encourage Russia to negotiate.
Analysts worry that the Kellogg-Fleitz plan could give Moscow an advantage in talks
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Despite some recent gains by Russia, the front lines have barely moved since the end of that year, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties on both sides in the bloodiest fighting in Europe since World War II.
Putin claimed this month that the war could end if Ukraine abandoned its ambitions to join NATO and ceded four eastern and southern provinces to Russia.
According to a Reuters report, Fleitz clarified that Ukraine wouldn’t need to formally cede territory to Russia under their plan. However, he admitted that Ukraine was unlikely to regain full control of its territory soon.
“Our concern is that this has become a war of attrition that's going to kill a whole generation of young men,” Fleitz said.
For lasting peace, Fleitz and Kellogg suggested that Ukraine would need to be offered additional security guarantees. Fleitz suggested that “arming Ukraine to the teeth” would be crucial.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung stated, “President Trump has repeatedly said that a top priority in his second term will be to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.”
The Biden campaign responded, saying Trump is not interested in standing up to Putin.
“Donald Trump heaps praise on Vladimir Putin every chance he gets and won’t stand against Putin or for democracy,” said spokesperson James Singer.
Some Republicans are hesitant to fund more resources for Ukraine. The US has already provided over $70 billion in military aid since Moscow's full-scale invasion. Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, said, “What Trump’s supporters want to do is reduce aid, if not turn off the spigot.”
Daniel Fried, a former assistant secretary of state expressed concern that the Kellogg-Fleitz plan would favor Moscow in negotiations. He said, “What Kellogg is describing is a process slanted toward Ukraine giving up all the territory that Russia now occupies.”
In a recent podcast interview, Trump ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine and seemed skeptical about Ukraine becoming a NATO member and indicated he would cut aid to Ukraine if elected.
Western media continues to report that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is interested in a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine, although Kremlin rhetoric and Russian military actions illustrate that Putin remains uninterested in meaningful negotiations and any settlement that would prevent him from pursuing the destruction of an independent Ukrainian state.
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