Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump have put forward several proposals that would effectively freeze the war in Ukraine, solidifying Moscow’s territorial gains, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing anonymous sources close to Trump.
Trump, who criticized outgoing President Joe Biden’s handling of the Ukraine conflict, vowed during his campaign to end the war before he takes office next January. He previously said that his “good relationship” with both President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be central to his ability to end the war quickly.
According to WSJ, one proposal from within Trump’s transition team involves allowing Moscow to maintain control over 20% of Ukrainian territory, establishing a 1,300-kilometer (800 miles) “demilitarized zone” and blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership for 20 years — all in exchange for continued military aid to deter future Russian aggression.
The plan does not include U.S. troops policing the demilitarized zone, nor funding from the U.S. or international bodies like the UN, a Trump transition team member said.
“We are not sending American men and women to uphold peace in Ukraine. And we are not paying for it. Get the Poles, Germans, British, and French to do it,” the person was quoted as saying. “We can do training and other support but the barrel of the gun is going to be European.”
Another proposal reportedly involves freezing battle lines and withholding U.S. arms from Ukraine unless it enters peace talks with Russia. This plan was allegedly drafted by two former chiefs of the National Security Council during Trump’s first term, Reuters reported in June.
WSJ noted a third, less defined plan by a candidate for a high-level cabinet position that would prioritize a ceasefire, potentially requiring Kyiv to make significant concessions.
The only proposed approach that avoids a “major win” for Russia reportedly comes from former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a potential candidate to lead the Pentagon, though details were not provided.
It remains unclear which plan Trump will pursue to fulfill his campaign pledge to end the Ukraine war. “[Trump] makes his own calls on national-security issues,” a former National Security Council aide told WSJ.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the proposals as “abstract” but did not rule out a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump before the U.S. presidential inauguration in January.