US President Donald Trump's 28-point draft proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war has been presented in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the US President's 28-point peace plan.
"From the first days of the war, we have taken a very simple stance: Ukraine needs peace. A dignified peace - with conditions that include respect for our independence, our sovereignty, and the dignity of the Ukrainian people. We must ensure precisely such conditions," V. Zelensky emphasized.
The approach to the project jointly developed by Washington and Moscow is not unambiguous. The latest proposal raises a number of questions. Issues such as whether Ukraine will accept this plan and whether Zelensky will face pressure from Washington are drawing attention.
In a statement to Modern.az, political scientist Elkhan Shahinoglu stated that when reading the clauses in Trump's project, it feels as if it is an act of capitulation:
“That is, according to the proposals, Ukraine must raise a white flag and accept Russia's terms. It is true that there are also clauses supposedly in Ukraine's favor. But essentially, Russia's demands are being met; Crimea and Donbass are being given to Russia. This means Ukraine's defeat. I do not believe that Ukraine will fulfill these conditions. There is also dissatisfaction in Europe regarding this. European officials, including the European Union and Europe's Commissioner for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, have already expressed their objection.”
According to the political scientist, if there is pressure on Kyiv, Trump himself will have to back down:
“If a plan has been put forward, it does not necessarily mean it will be implemented. Similar plans by the Trump administration have not materialized. It is not possible to say that this one will either. I do not believe that the Ukrainian leader will accept this plan. After being discussed for a while, this proposal will be forgotten and fade away. If Washington pressures Ukraine to accept this proposal, Kyiv will still not reconcile with the conditions, and Europe will support it. In this case, on the contrary, Washington will have to take a step back.”
E. Shahinoglu noted that Trump is putting forward illogical proposals regarding the Russia-Ukraine war:
“Trump wants to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war in a short period. Because his main pre-election promise was related to this. He cannot easily resolve the issue, and this negatively affects his image. To prevent this, Trump wants to stop the war by all means. He does not consider whether the issue will be in Ukraine's favor; he just wants a ceasefire and the conflict to be frozen. The outcome of the processes is not interesting to Trump, which is why he puts forward illogical plans.”
The political scientist also spoke about the further course of the war:
“Whoever's resources run out will be defeated. Russia still has resources. Although Ukraine's resources are not sufficient, it receives support from Europe. From this perspective, both sides have resources to continue the war. Russia is trying to expand its occupation zone. However, contrary to Russian propaganda, it is not advancing very rapidly. Russian propaganda tries to create the impression that various cities and Ukrainian armies are encircled. The reality, however, shows that the situation is not at all like this. Russia is also suffering and incurring losses. It can be predicted that such positional battles will continue next year.”
