Trump’s plan: Give Putin Crimea, then watch the tanks roll toward Tallinn – Euromaidan Press

Last Friday, following a meeting with European partners in Paris, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that America will continue peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia for just “a few more days” before shifting focus elsewhere. Later, Donald Trump clarified that the US would withdraw from the negotiation process if either side “complicates” efforts to end the war.

The American outlet Axios, citing its own sources, reported that Rubio’s rhetoric in Paris was primarily directed at Ukraine, suggesting his statements were a form of pressure on Kyiv. There was no mention of increased pressure on Russia during the Paris meetings. The Wall Street Journal similarly reported that the US appears to be pressuring Ukraine. According to their analysis, the Trump administration is seeking Ukraine’s support for broader proposals.

These proposals, outlined in a confidential document shared with Ukrainian and European officials, reportedly include potentially explosive concessions:

The US now awaits Kyiv’s response, which is expected on Wednesday during a crucial meeting of American, Ukrainian, and European officials in London.

Trump’s diplomatic machine has been working overtime behind the scenes. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, engaged directly with Putin three times before the Paris meeting, while Rubio conducted separate talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov.

Meanwhile, Moscow hasn’t budged an inch. Russia’s demands remain unchanged and sweeping:

• Recognition of all Russian-occupied territories (plus handing over areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts currently under Ukraine’s control)
• Ukraine permanently abandoning NATO
• Stripping Ukraine of meaningful military capacity
• Creating “buffer zones” inside Ukrainian territory
• Blocking international peacekeepers
• Dismantling Ukraine’s entire political system.

This isn’t a peace plan—it’s a surrender document.

Russia gains, America backs off

As of today, Donald Trump appears unable to fulfill his campaign promise of quickly bringing peace to Ukraine. Either unwilling or unable to pressure Putin, his administration has instead directed all diplomatic efforts toward forcing Ukraine into what amounts to surrender.

Trump’s negotiation approach gives Moscow clear advantages.

Russian state media has seized this narrative throughout April, broadcasting that Russia has strategically defeated NATO and forced America to beg for peace. These propaganda outlets portray the US as diplomatically desperate and sacrificing Ukraine to “save face.”

America’s strategic pivot is unmistakable. Since last year, the US focus has shifted decisively toward countering China in the Asia-Pacific. This requires disengaging from European conflicts, particularly the costly Ukraine support operation. After the Washington summit, the message became clear: Ukraine’s funding would be drastically reduced and offloaded onto European NATO members.

Meanwhile, Moscow is exploiting Trump’s impulsive tendencies. Russia has amplified both its military and political campaigns, openly defying American peace initiatives.

The Kremlin has simultaneously intensified its information warfare, flooding Western media spaces with the narrative that “there are more important issues than Ukraine.” In this context, US administration statements suggesting Ukraine’s responsibility for starting the war prove highly advantageous for the Kremlin.

Despite economic vulnerabilities from prolonged warfare and market instability, Russia is capitalizing on America’s perceived weakness. A Ukraine ceasefire on Moscow’s terms would be trumpeted as a victory over America by authoritarian regimes worldwide, reinforcing Russia’s belief that aggressive expansion in Europe remains its winning strategy.

Ukraine stands, the West hesitates

This week will determine the future course of this war.

Will America abandon its global leadership and betray its Budapest Memorandum pledges? Will Europe step up to defend democratic values as America retreats? Or will appeasing Russia at Ukraine’s expense buy merely a brief pause before a devastating Russian offensive engulfs peaceful European cities?

This single diplomatic move would unravel years of international pressure.

America’s failure to honor its Budapest Memorandum commitments threatens more than Ukraine – it would resonate globally, shattering the entire European security architecture built on decades of treaties and agreements.

What else could this represent but Trump’s capitulation and the American administration’s admission of defeat in its global confrontation with Russia?

Yet, facing this grim reality, Ukraine stands defiant. Against Europe’s largest army, Ukrainians continue fighting for their very survival. If the United States walks away, they can only hope that European democracies will recognize that Ukraine’s fight is ultimately their fight too.