Dangerous signals. Zelenskyy sharply criticized Trump-Vance plan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not take seriously the statements of JD Vance (Republican vice presidential candidate) about Donald Trump's “peace plan.” But he believes that these are dangerous signals.
In particular, he commented on how Trump evaded the question of whether he wanted Ukraine to win during the debate. Then he simply stated that he wanted the war to end.
“He says he wants the war to stop. Well, we do, too. This phrase and desire, they unite the world; everyone shares them. But here’s the scary question: Who will shoulder the costs of stopping the war? Some might say that the Minsk Agreements either stopped or froze the fighting at some point. But they also gave the Russians a chance to arm themselves even better, and to strengthen their fake claim over our territories they occupied,” Zelenskyy said.
In his opinion, Trump does not really know how to stop the war. Zelenskyy considers his vice presidential candidate, JD Vance, too radical. And his assumptions about the “Trump plan” actually offer Ukraine to cede territory.
“His message seems to be that Ukraine must make a sacrifice. This brings us back to the question of the cost and who shoulders it. The idea that the world should end this war at Ukraine’s expense is unacceptable,” he emphasized.
The President added that he did not consider the voiced concept a peace plan. “This would be an awful idea, if a person were actually going to carry it out, to make Ukraine shoulder the costs of stopping the war by giving up its territories,” Zelenskyy said.
Vance must clearly understand that once trade in Ukraine's territory begins, there will be a surrender of American interests elsewhere.
"For us, these are dangerous signals, coming as they do from a potential Vice-President... I don’t take Vance’s words seriously, because, if this were a plan, then America is headed for global conflict,” the president summarized.
What does Trump propose?
The Republican presidential candidate himself does not disclose the points of his “peace plan.” However, JD Vance recently suggested what it might look like. Key points:
- The contact line will become a demilitarized zone
- Ukraine retains state sovereignty
- Russia receives guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO
- Europe should finance Ukraine's reconstruction
The demilitarized zone must be heavily fortified. Vance did not specify who would control it. Read more in the article Quick-fix plan: How Trump aims to end war in Ukraine and whether it might work.
US President Joe Biden believes that Ukraine should remain a leader in ending the war, and a peace plan should not be imposed from the outside.
Zelenskyy's working trip to the United States begins today. As part of it, he will hold a series of meetings with world leaders to present a plan for victory.
