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At first, the former US president seemed to take a firm position on the Ukrainian conflict. After delivering threats of "serious repercussions" last August in case Vladimir Putin carried on blocking ceasefire discussions, the former president finally introduced substantial penalties on Russia's biggest oil companies, these major energy companies. This decision significantly affected the Russian leader's ability to fund his military invasion in the region.

But, through his recently unveiled 28-point peace proposal for the conflict, reportedly created by both nations' representatives excluding Ukrainian or European participation, he has apparently returned to his favorable to Russia stance.

Rewarding Invasion

This plan would in practice reward Putin for attacking Ukraine while placing the country's democratic system in peril. Despite ringing proclamations that "Ukraine's autonomy will be confirmed", much of the initiative actually weaken that essential sovereignty. What represents a Moscow's wish would certainly be a Ukrainian nightmare.

Showing his corporate background, the former president continues to treat the war as a basic territorial dispute, like handing Russia a part of Ukrainian soil will please the ruler. But, Putin's military campaign is not merely about dominating a charred region of industrial-devastated land in eastern Ukraine. It is about Ukraine's political system – and Putin's obvious desire to weaken it so it ceases to functions as an appealing example for the Russian people of the responsible leadership that his increasing dictatorship prevents them.

Land Surrenders

While keeping in status the presently separated regions of these areas, Trump's initiative would force Ukraine to give up the whole Donetsk region. Aside from benefiting the Russian Federation with area that its military have been unsuccessful to occupy in more than a lengthy period of conflict, this concession would leave Ukraine's military defenses critically weakened.

Donetsk is the site of Ukraine's much-vaunted "stronghold system", the well-established defensive positions that represent a key obstacle to enemy progress. Trump would have Ukraine surrender these positions, giving Putin a unobstructed path to the capital should he later opt to restart the war.

Armed Forces Restrictions

Furthermore, in a action that would enable renewed fighting simpler for Russia, Trump would mandate Ukraine to reduce the numbers of its military from their current large number troops to a maximum of this lower number. Notably, the initiative imposes no such restrictions on the invading army.

Seemingly as a accommodation to Russia's attempts to characterize Ukraine's legitimate leadership as radicals, Trump's plan asserts: "All Nazi belief system and practices must be condemned and banned." As if to underscore this element, it demands that "The nation will hold democratic votes in three months" of a peace deal. Meanwhile, the proposal imposes no requirement that the Russian leader endanger his dictatorship by conducting votes in his own country.

Security Commitments

Admittedly, the initiative makes Russia commit not to "enter other states" and to "establish in regulation its policy of non-violence towards the EU and the Ukrainian people". But considering that Putin has breached equivalent accords in the history – for example the 1994 agreement, in which Russia committed to recognize the nation's borders in exchange for relinquishing its historical nuclear weapons, and the previous peace deals, in which Moscow promised to a halt in fighting and a handback of occupied land in eastern Ukraine to Ukrainian control – for what reason should anyone trust Russia now?

For this reason the Ukrainian government has been so adamant on external defense commitments. Although the proposal threatens a "strong joint military response" in case Russia renew its invasion, and states that "The nation will receive dependable defense commitments", the particulars include fuzzy to alarming. The proposal would not only deny the nation alliance membership but also prevent Nato members from deploying military personnel on Ukrainian territory, effectively blocking the reassurance force, likely headed by European powers, on which the Ukrainian government had been relying to deter Russia from rebuilding his weakened military, rearming, and reinvading.

World Response

A separate side agreement reportedly would provide the nation with a similar to NATO security guarantee, in which any subsequent "major, deliberate, and ongoing armed attack" by the Russian Federation on Ukraine "will be treated as an attack threatening the stability and safety of the Western nations." This implies a military response. However unlike a powerful national defense – the nation's primary protection against future hostilities – the effectiveness of the supplementary deal would hinge on the commitment of Nato leaders, like the US administration, to react with force to Russia's hostilities, something they have {not