Trump's plan: US aid to Kiev only if peace talks proceed - Reuters
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If Donald Trump wins the upcoming presidential elections, he plans to pressure Ukraine and Moscow into peace talks to end the conflict in Ukraine.
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Former US President Donald Trump arrives for a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club, Tuesday, March 8, 2016, in Jupiter, Florida. (AP)
Two key advisors to former US President Donald Trump have proposed a strategy, should he win the presidential election, to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, Reuters revealed on Tuesday.
The plan entails informing Ukraine that it will only receive increased US military assistance if it engages in peace negotiations.
Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, a national security advisor to Trump, explained in an interview that the United States would simultaneously caution Moscow that a refusal to participate in talks would prompt greater American support for Ukraine.
Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, both former chiefs of staff in Trump's National Security Council, devised a plan that includes a ceasefire along current battle lines during negotiations. He noted that they have presented this strategy to Trump, who responded positively to their proposal.
"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. However, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said only statements made by Trump or authorized members of his campaign should be deemed official.
The strategy outlined by Kellogg and Fleitz is the most detailed plan yet by associates of Trump, who has said he could quickly settle the war in Ukraine if he beats President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election.
The proposal would mark a big shift in the US position on the war and would face opposition from European allies and within Trump's own Republican Party.
The Kremlin said that 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.
What does the plan include?
The key components of the plan were detailed in a research paper released by the "America First Policy Institute," a think tank aligned with Trump, where Kellogg and Fleitz are in leadership roles.
Kellogg emphasized the importance of swiftly bringing Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table in the event of a Trump election victory.
He said, "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,'" adding, "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.'"
Read next: As Trump looms, NATO may take over US responsibilities for Ukraine aid
Moscow would also be encouraged to participate in negotiations by delaying Ukraine's NATO membership prospect for an extended period, according to their research paper. Fleitz clarified that under their plan, Ukraine wouldn't need to "formally cede territory to Russia."
A lasting peace in Ukraine would require additional security guarantees for Ukraine, Kellogg and Fleitz said, 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 spokesperson Cheung said. "The war between Russia and Ukraine never would have happened if Donald J. Trump were president. So sad."
Conversely, Biden has consistently advocated for increased aid to Ukraine, and his administration actively supports Ukraine's eventual accession to NATO.
