Trump on Ukraine's territorial concessions: Russia to capture them in few months
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump stated that the front in Ukraine is moving in one direction. For this reason, Russia may capture the territories that the original US peace plan had envisioned transferring, according to a White House broadcast.
During the discussion, journalists noted that many Republicans considered the initial US plan too favorable to Russia. In response, Trump said that it was not a plan.
“All that was is a map. That was not a plan. It was a concept. And from there, they've taken each one of the 28 points and then you got down to 22 points,” said the US president.
Trump says many points in the peace plan were very successfully resolved.
When asked if the original document demanded too much Ukrainian territory, he warned that the front in Ukraine is moving in one direction and that Russia could soon capture those lands militarily.
“Look, the way it's going, if you look, it's just moving in one direction. So eventually, that's land that over the next couple of months might be gotten by Russia anyway. So do you want to fight and lose another 50,000-60,000 people, or do you want to do something now?” Trump said.
He added that negotiations are ongoing and “they are trying to get everything done.”
Trump was likely referring to the territorial issue, stressing that borders shouldn’t run through highways or city centers.
“So, it doesn't work. So, it's a long, it's a long complicated process. Very, very sad because so many people are being killed,” the US president said.
Trump also warned that the war in Ukraine could last for years. However, with Russia having far more population and soldiers, he believes that if Ukraine can reach a deal, it would be beneficial for both sides.
Finally, Trump noted that he has no deadline for a peace agreement, even though he previously mentioned November 27 as the cutoff.
US peace plan for Ukraine
Recently, Western media reported a new 28-point US plan to end the war in Ukraine, seen as favorable to Russia.
On November 23, delegations from the US, Ukraine, and Europe met in Geneva to revise the plan and make it more favorable to Kyiv. According to the Financial Times, the plan was cut from 28 to 19 points, and reports claimed Ukraine agreed to reduce its army to 800,000 troops.
After the Geneva meeting, the US and Ukraine issued a joint statement saying final details would be settled in a meeting between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy is ready to meet as soon as possible, potentially on November 27.
Ahead of this, Trump announced that his special envoy Steve Witkoff would negotiate with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, while US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll would meet with Ukrainian officials to advance agreement on the peace plan.
The plan also sparked controversy. Bloomberg published transcripts of Witkoff with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, and Dmitriev with Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov, raising suspicions that the US plan might actually reflect Russian interests.
