A purported plan by Donald Trump to end Russia’s war in Ukraine with a buffer zone between the countries would not involve American troops, it has been reported. An 800-mile demilitarized zone between the Russian and Ukrainian armies was said to be one idea the president-elect had to bring a swift resolution to the end of the war, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The publication said that Trump staffers had outlined the plan would freeze the current front line, and see Ukraine shelve any ambitions to join NATO for at least two decades, while the U.S. would provide Kyiv with weapons to deter future Russian aggression. However, the U.S. would neither contribute troops for the buffer zone, nor pay for it, the newspaper reported, citing a member of Trump’s team. Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said that Trump will have to contend with Congress, “but there is significant skepticism about Ukraine among many Republicans, and a general U.S. focus towards China.”
Russia will see this as an incentive to keep on pressing home its advantage in numbers,” he told Newsweek. “Meanwhile, Europe and NATO as an institution should consider where they can take on more,” Savill said, noting that in his last months in office, President Joe Biden might authorize the remainder of the funding available for support to Ukraine under Presidential Drawdown Authority.
Having repeatedly said that he could end the war within a day, Trump’s approach to the war started by Vladimir Putin will be keenly watched, especially given his reluctance to continue with U.S. military support for Kyiv. The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that it would send Kyiv the full $6 billion in military aid before Trump’s inauguration. It comes amid a report by Politico that Biden was rushing to deliver the remaining funds by January 20, 2025, amid uncertainty at what a Trump presidency would mean for future American support. The Biden administration has also allowed U.S. defense contractors to work in Ukraine to maintain and repair American-supplied weapons. They will not participate in combat operations and will be far from the front line, a source told Reuters.
It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky told a summit of European Union leaders in Budapest, “giving in to Putin, retreating, and making some ‘concessions,'” would amount to “suicide,” not just for Ukraine but, “for all of Europe.”
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