Cal Thomas: We lose, they win
In a striking contrast to President Ronald Reagan’s resolute stance during the Cold War, today’s geopolitical landscape sees former President Donald Trump advocating a peace proposal that many critics argue favors Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. During a recent press conference, Trump set a Thanksgiving deadline for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a peace plan that bears a striking resemblance to Russian demands, raising eyebrows and concerns among political analysts and foreign policy experts. Reports suggest that this proposal, described as a “leaked” Russian wish list by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, could undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty by requiring it to cede significant territories, including the Eastern Donbas region and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
The proposed 28-point plan not only demands that Ukraine relinquish vital regions but also includes a stipulation that Ukraine must forgo NATO membership, a move that many see as a capitulation to Vladimir Putin’s long-standing ambitions to re-establish Russian dominance over former Soviet territories. Critics argue that accepting such terms would not only weaken Ukraine but also embolden Putin, potentially setting a dangerous precedent for future conflicts. The plan, as outlined, would allow Russia to retain much of the territory it currently occupies, with little assurance of accountability or consequences should it violate the agreement. As the White House attempts to frame the proposal as a realistic solution to a devastating war, skeptics question the efficacy of the outlined measures to prevent further Russian aggression.
The implications of this peace proposal extend beyond Ukraine, raising fears about the stability of Eastern Europe and the future of NATO. With the potential for Russia to violate the agreement without significant repercussions, the international community is left grappling with the reality that such a deal may not only fail to secure peace but could also encourage further aggression from authoritarian regimes. As the U.S. and Ukraine reportedly work to revise the draft, the central question remains: will Putin accept terms that do not grant him the upper hand he seeks? The stakes are high, and the outcome of this diplomatic endeavor could reshape the geopolitical landscape for years to come.
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).
