With months left for the US Presidential elections, the advisors to Donald Trump have presented him with a plan to end the Ukraine war if he is elected President. This involves telling the Kyiv leadership that it will get more US weapons only if it enters into peace talks with Moscow, said a report.
The United States would also warn Moscow that any refusal to negotiate would result in increased U.S. support for Ukraine, Reuters quoted retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, one of Trump's national security advisers.
The plan was drawn by Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, who also served as chief of staff in Trump's National Security Council during his 2017-2021 presidency. As per the strategy drawn up by the duo, there would be a ceasefire based on prevailing battle lines during peace talks.
The duo reportedly presented the plan to Trump, who has responded favourably. "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," Fleitz told Reuters.
However, there are so far no official response from the Trump campaign or the former President himself. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told Reuters that only statements made by Trump or authorised members of his campaign should be deemed official.
Trump had earlier said he would end the war "within 24 hours" if elected but provided no details. Last year, during an interview with Fox News, the former president said it would be simple for him to hold negotiations between Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy because he has good relations with both leaders. "I know Zelensky very well, I know Putin very well—even better—and I had a very good relationship with both of them," he said.
He added that he would tell Zelensky: "No more, you gotta make a deal," and Putin: "If you don't make a deal, we're gonna give them a lot. We're gonna give more than they ever got. And that is it, the war will be over.''
However, the new plan by Kellogg and Fleitz is the most detailed one yet and could indicate a shift in the US position with regard to the war in Ukraine. There are also concerns that the plan could face opposition from European allies and within Trump's own Republican Party.
Meanwhile, Russia responded to the report, stating that any peace plan proposed by a possible future Trump administration would have to reflect the reality on the ground. "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," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters.
Ukraine's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the plan.
