Cal Thomas: We lose, they win
In a striking contrast to the Cold War rhetoric of the past, President Trump’s recent approach to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has raised eyebrows, particularly among those who remember President Ronald Reagan’s firm stance of “we win, they lose.” Trump’s proposed peace plan for Ukraine, which he has given President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thanksgiving to accept, appears to align more closely with a narrative of capitulation rather than victory. This plan, described as a “leaked” Russian wish list, reportedly includes demands that would significantly compromise Ukraine’s territorial integrity, such as the surrender of the Eastern Donbas region and Crimea—territories that have been fiercely contested since Russia’s annexation in 2014.
The proposed 28-point document not only requires Ukraine to abandon its aspirations for NATO membership but also mandates military limitations on Kyiv while allowing Russia to retain control over occupied territories. This one-sided pressure on Ukraine raises serious concerns about the long-term implications of such an agreement, suggesting that it could embolden Putin to further pursue his imperial ambitions across Eastern Europe. Critics argue that the plan, which includes provisions for a neutral buffer zone and a vague promise of security guarantees for Ukraine, fails to provide any substantial deterrent against future Russian aggression. The reality is stark: if accepted, this deal could mark a significant step backward for Ukraine and a dangerous precedent for global responses to authoritarian expansionism.
The White House has defended the plan as a pragmatic approach to ending a devastating war, but many view it as a troubling sign of the U.S. administration’s willingness to negotiate at the expense of a sovereign nation’s rights. With the potential for Russia to violate the agreement and little in the way of effective consequences outlined, there is skepticism about whether such a deal would lead to lasting peace or merely serve to embolden Putin’s regime. As discussions continue, the fundamental question remains whether the U.S. and its allies will stand firm against aggression or allow a dangerous precedent to take root, one that could have far-reaching implications for the geopolitical landscape in Europe and beyond.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cp-AK8ETdg
In 1988, when President Ronald Reagan was asked by a reporter during the summit in Moscow what his goal was in the Cold War, he
said
: “we win, they lose.”
When it comes to today’s Russia and its unprovoked war with Ukraine, President Trump’s goal at least in practice and outcome appears to be “we lose, they win.”
The president has given Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thanksgiving Day to
accept
his “peace proposal” which reads as if it could have been written by Vladimir Putin. In fact, according to news reports, it may have been. According to the
NY Post
, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio told US senators Saturday that the sweeping peace plan to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine was not America’s — but merely a ‘leaked’ Russian ‘wish list.”
Maybe so, but it seems to align with the one-sided pressure Trump has put on Zelenskyy to settle the war since he took office. Trump said Saturday the proposal is not his “
final offer.
”
If the document is from the administration, it is capitulation to most of Putin’s demands and is an invitation for the dictator to continue pursuing his stated goal of re-taking all of the former Soviet satellite countries, which have been free and independent since the end of the Cold War.
According to a draft of the proposal shared publicly by a member of the Ukraine opposition party, the 28-point document would require Ukraine to surrender its Eastern Donbas region, as well as Crimea, the latter of which no previous administration has demanded since Putin invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It also would require Ukraine to forgo NATO membership, though it does loosely promise a “security” force, presumably to prevent Putin from gobbling up more territory. If Zelinskyy bows to U.S. pressure and accepts a deal forced upon him, we might as well get the U.S.S. Missouri out of mothballs and replicate the signing of surrender documents by the Japanese, ending World War II.
In a statement to CBS News, White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt
said: “This plan was crafted to reflect the realities of the situation, after five years of a devastating war, to find the best win-win scenario, where both parties gain more than they must give.” That sounds like an admission the document came from us.
Among the
provisions
in the proposed deal is that Russia would be allowed to keep much of the territory it now occupies and even take over land Ukraine currently holds, along with regions of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk. These would be recognized by the U.S. as de facto Russia territory. Any bets on how long it would take Putin to swallow whole these regions into greater Russia?
The plan creates a neutral “buffer zone” with no Russian forces allowed. Again, place your bets on how long that will last?
Zelenskyy will be required to cap the size of his military (there is no similar requirement for Russia) and promise not to become a NATO member, but it can join the European Union. Does anyone expect the EU to mount a significant resistance should Putin choose to violate the agreement and especially if he invades other countries as he has promised to do to restore the old Soviet satellite countries? It may be the only promise he has ever kept.
There is so much potential for Russia to violate the proposed agreement and so little effective response outlined if it does. These include more sanctions which so far have not worked.
Putin has always had a goal in the war he started, but the U.S. and Europe have vacillated about ours. This proposed peace deal will only encourage vile dictators like Putin. President Trump likes to say he wants to end wars. This agreement will only encourage Putin’s voracious appetite to start new ones as well as eventually finish the one against Ukraine.
Late Sunday, the U.S. and Ukraine
reportedly
agreed to change the draft of the peace plan, but the key is whether Putin will agree to anything that won’t give him everything he wants.
Readers may email Cal Thomas at
tcaeditors@tribpub.com
. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).
