President Trump’s progress in efforts to end the Ukraine war made last week the most important of his second term so far. Trump initiated a previously nonexistent peace process, compelling both sides to consider difficult compromises and unifying Europe behind him.
However, there are two major obstacles to a peace agreement—territory swaps and security guarantees—that will require creative diplomacy by President Trump and his foreign policy team to resolve.
President Trump made significant strides in moving Putin to agree to a deal to end the war during a summit meeting in Alaska on August 15. Although Trump vowed to walk out of the summit and impose “severe consequences” on Russia if he determined Putin was not serious about ending the war, Trump called the summit a success, saying Putin showed sufficient willingness to pursue peace. Not only did Putin appear willing to make new concessions at the summit, but Trump also used it to help repair U.S.-Russia relations, which had deteriorated badly during the Biden administration.
Predictably, the liberal media and the American Left bashed President Trump over the Alaska Summit, claiming it was a failure that amounted to appeasement of Putin. This criticism was quickly disproved after Zelensky and seven European leaders rushed to Washington to consult with Trump on the summit and next steps to get a peace agreement. The European leaders expressed strong support for Trump’s peace efforts at the White House. Just as important, Zelensky exhibited a friendly and cooperative attitude with President Trump.
The Major Obstacles: Land Swaps and Security Guarantees
Land swaps and security guarantees are complex, overlapping issues that are the principal obstacles to a peace deal, assuming Putin actually wants to end the war and does not plan to stymie a settlement with other unreasonable demands.
Ukrainian leaders have adamantly rejected giving up land to end the war. Ukrainian President Zelensky has stated that the Ukrainian constitution prohibits this. However, there is a growing belief by Western leaders and experts that Ukraine will need to accept at least de facto Russian control of Ukrainian areas it has seized and may need to cede some territory to Russia as part of a peace agreement.
Putin reportedly suggested “land swaps” at the summit as part of a peace agreement. Putin proposes that Ukraine swap areas of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine still outside Russian control. Russia has seized about 80% of this region but has been unable to take a heavily fortified area of the Donetsk province in the Donbas. Ukrainian officials regard this as an unacceptable concession because losing the fortified Donetsk region would make it easier for Russian forces to conquer vulnerable areas of the country beyond it.
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Author: Ruth King
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