{"id":306026,"date":"2025-11-21T23:02:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T23:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/306026\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T23:02:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T23:02:18","slug":"the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-in-the-us-peace-plan-for-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/306026\/","title":{"rendered":"The good, the bad, and the ugly in the US peace plan for Ukraine\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\tThe good, the bad, and the ugly in the US peace plan for Ukraine\u00a0 – Atlantic Council<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/p>\n

\n\t\tJUST IN\n\t<\/p>\n

\u201cThursday is it.\u201d Today US President Donald Trump gave<\/a> Ukraine a Thanksgiving deadline to approve a twenty-eight-point peace plan<\/a>. The proposal reportedly gives Russia large chunks of Ukrainian territory and restricts Ukraine\u2019s armed forces, while providing Ukraine a new security guarantee\u2014though without Western troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said<\/a> that the choice could come down to \u201closs of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner.\u201d As always, we turned to our plan of asking our experts to assess the proposal and what to expect next.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\tTODAY\u2019S EXPERT REACTION BROUGHT TO YOU BY\n\t<\/p>\n

Daniel Fried<\/a> (@AmbDanFried<\/a>):\u202fWeiser Family distinguished fellow and former US assistant secretary of state for Europe\u00a0<\/p>\n

John E. Herbst<\/a>\u202f (@JohnEdHerbst<\/a>):\u202fSenior director of the Eurasia Center and former US ambassador to Ukraine\u00a0<\/p>\n

Leslie Shedd<\/a> (@leslieshedd<\/a>):\u202fNonresident fellow at the Eurasia Center and former senior advisor to members of the US Congress, as well as US senatorial and presidential candidates<\/p>\n

What\u2019s in the deal<\/p>\n

Dan calls the US proposal \u201ca hot mess\u201d because it \u201cis sloppy, internally inconsistent, and retreats from Trump\u2019s stated position on ending the conflict\u2014for example, that the current front line be the cease-fire line.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The idea of granting Russia all of the Donbas region even without the Kremlin having conquered it on the battlefield is \u201ca fatuous idea,\u201d John argues, \u201crewarding the aggressor.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

But John adds that the inclusion of language on security guarantees is \u201ca possible positive,\u201d and a strong bilateral guarantee from the United States \u201cwould certainly deter future Russian aggression, because the Russians are afraid of our military.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dan also notes the deal\u2019s \u201cworkable elements, including a provision that all commitments to Russia fall if it again attacks Ukraine\u201d and points out that \u201cwe saw earlier this year how a bad initial US proposal\u2014the \u2018minerals deal\u2019\u2014could be transformed into a reasonable deal<\/a> for development and a plus for US-Ukraine relations.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sign up to receive rapid insight in your inbox from Atlantic Council experts on global events as they unfold.<\/p>\n

Trumpology<\/p>\n

Leslie says Trump believes that the refusal of his predecessor, Joe Biden, \u201cto send Ukraine the weapons it needed to fully repel Russia early in the invasion (and before Russian troops became entrenched inside the country) created a stalemate that Ukraine is unlikely to break.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

So in Trump\u2019s mind, Leslie says, \u201ca negotiated settlement that includes giving up some land is likely the only way to stop the killing.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

With European leaders now trying to get involved<\/a>, John says he expects Trump to be receptive to their views, given that \u201cseveral of those European leaders have terrific relations with Trump.\u201d European leaders\u2019 moves to increase \u201cdefense spending and willingness to put European troops on the ground in Ukraine have been important in making it harder for Putin to sell snake oil to the White House.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

John notes that \u201cTrump is a mercurial figure,\u201d who moves in different directions as he seeks a solution. \u201cThere have obviously been times when that\u2019s worked for him. I don\u2019t think that works in the current war because Putin\u2019s aim has not changed. He is not going to give up his desire of achieving effective political control of Ukraine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The next moves<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ukrainians are in a tight place,\u201d Dan says, because if they reject the plan \u201cthey are apt to trigger another Trump explosion and even more US withdrawal of support for Ukraine.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

So Dan advises Zelenskyy to work with Trump on the text. \u201cIt will not be pretty. But the Ukrainian objective should be to make sure the peace plan is not a disaster and to avoid blame for its likely failure.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

If they do reach a deal, Leslie says the Trump administration should submit the agreement to the US Senate to ratify as a treaty. \u201cThis will send a powerful message to Putin that Republicans and Democrats in both the executive and legislative branches are united in their commitment to following through on the security guarantees if [Putin] puts a toe into Ukraine again.\u201d\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

Further reading<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Thu, Nov 20, 2025<\/p>\n

Any serious Ukraine peace plan must address Putin\u2019s imperial ambitions<\/a><\/p>\n

\n UkraineAlert
\n By
\n Mykola Bielieskov\n <\/p>\n

\n The new US plan to end the war in Ukraine fails to recognize that Putin is not driven by limited political goals. He believes he is engaged in an existential struggle to revive Russia\u2019s great power status and will never accept a compromise peace, writes Mykola Bielieskov. <\/p>\n

\n Related Experts:
\n John E. Herbst<\/a>,
\n Daniel Fried<\/a>, and
\n Leslie Shedd<\/a>\n <\/p>\n

Image: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over lunch in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 17, 2025. REUTERS\/Jonathan Ernst.<\/p>\n

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