US has drawn up new peace plan for Ukraine, – The Economist
Negotiations to end the war may involve the creation of a demilitarised zone in the Donbas, Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership, and the easing of sanctions against Russia. Ukrainian officials fear that US economic interests may take precedence over security concerns.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported by *The Economist*.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, may be misjudging the motives of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, leaving them vulnerable to Russian manipulation. Meanwhile, Washington is attempting to resume negotiations on a peace deal that could involve a series of concessions to Russia.
According to a source within the US government speaking to the publication, Trump’s latest moves are not intended to force Ukraine to capitulate. Instead, the US president has allegedly fallen victim to a "successful disinformation campaign" by Russia. His decisions are also influenced by opinion poll results, unfavourable to him and the Republican Party, in the run-up to the US mid-term congressional elections.
What concessions might the peace plan entail?
Pressure from Washington coincides with attempts to resume negotiations on a peace agreement as quickly as possible, the terms of which may be unfavourable to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials do not have full details of the latest proposals, but they are familiar with the general outline.
Possible provisions of the plan include:
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the creation of a demilitarised zone in Donbas;
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the possibility of Russia concluding business deals with American companies, the easing of sanctions and the normalisation of political relations with Moscow;
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an investment package for Ukraine and the prospect of EU membership in exchange for renouncing NATO membership;
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the possibility of resuming Russian gas supplies to Europe and the operation of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
At the same time, Russia shows no willingness to cease hostilities and continues to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure on the eve of winter. According to the publication’s sources, Moscow may be dragging out the negotiation process in an attempt to secure concessions, in particular the lifting of sanctions.
Ukraine fears that economic interests will take precedence over security concerns
One Ukrainian official expressed concern that, for some negotiators, economic interests may prove more important than achieving a lasting peace.
Ukrainian negotiators are wary that Trump’s representatives may strike economic deals favourable to themselves with Russia even before terms for ending the war and security guarantees acceptable to Ukraine have been established.
"From their point of view, why wait and waste time? Time is money," noted a Ukrainian official.
Starlink restrictions and the easing of sanctions in Moscow’s favour
Washington’s decision to restrict Starlink’s operations could have been seen as a diplomatic warning, but Ukraine felt its consequences on the battlefield. At the same time, according to the publication, representatives of the Trump administration are in no hurry to accept responsibility for this decision.
For Putin, recent events may have proved particularly favourable: Trump agreed to a deal on the supply of Russian diesel fuel and postponed the introduction of new sanctions against Russia in line with Senator Lindsey Graham’s legislative initiative.
Why a Democratic victory in the elections might not help Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s criticism of the US president’s "weak decisions" was likely based on the assumption that a possible Democratic victory in the mid-term elections would weaken Trump’s position.
However, as one congressman points out, such a scenario could have the opposite effect. If the Democrats regain control of Congress and step up investigations into Trump, the US president may act even more aggressively.
