Two key advisers to Donald Trump have revealed plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine if he wins the presidential election – that involves telling Ukraine it will only get more US weapons if it negotiates with Moscow.
The advisers, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, and Fred Fleitz, who both served as chiefs of staff in Trump’s National Security Council during his 2017-2021 presidency, say the United States would at the same time warn Moscow that any refusal to negotiate would result in increased US support for Ukraine.
Under the plan drawn up by Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, there would be a ceasefire based on prevailing battle lines during peace talks.
Trump responded favourably to the plans, the advisers said.
“I’m not claiming he agreed with it or agreed with every word of it, but we were pleased to get the feedback we did,” he said.
But, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said only statements made by Trump or authorised members of his campaign are official.
Trump has said he could quickly settle the war in Ukraine if he beats President Joe Biden in the Nov 5 election, though he has not discussed specifics.
The proposal if true, will be a big shift in the US position on the war and could face opposition from European allies and within Trump’s own Republican Party.
The Kremlin says any peace plan proposed by a possible future Trump administration would have to reflect the reality on the ground but that Russian President Vladimir Putin remained open to talks.
“The value of any plan lies in the nuances and in taking into account the real state of affairs on the ground,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters.
“President Putin has repeatedly said that Russia has been and remains open to negotiations, taking into account the real state of affairs on the ground. We remain open to negotiations.”
The core elements of the plan were outlined in a publicly available research paper published by the “America First Policy Institute,”
Kellogg said it would be important to get Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table quickly if Trump wins the election.
“We tell the Ukrainians, ‘You’ve got to come to the table, and if you don’t come to the table, support from the United States will dry up.
“And you tell Putin, ‘He’s got to come to the table and if you don’t come to the table, then we’ll give Ukrainians everything they need to kill you in the field.'”
According to their research paper, Moscow would also be coaxed to the table with the promise of Nato membership for Ukraine being put off for an extended period.
Fleitz said Ukraine need not formally cede territory to Russia under their plan but he admitted Ukraine was unlikely to regain effective control of all its territory in the near term.
“Our concern is that this has become a war of attrition that’s going to kill a whole generation of young men,” he said.
A lasting peace in Ukraine would require additional security guarantees for Ukraine, the plan said with the proposal adding that “arming Ukraine to the teeth” was likely to be a key element of that.
“President Trump has repeatedly stated that a top priority in his second term will be to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war,” Trump spokesman Mr Cheung said
“The war between Russia and Ukraine never would have happened if Donald J. Trump were president. So sad.”
