The Latest on the Ukraine Peace Deal
In today’s news, the Trump Administration continues its push for a Ukraine Peace Deal, and Ukraine’s President Zelensky says he’s ‘ready for elections’ in Ukraine.
President Trump is increasing pressure on Ukraine to accept his Administration’s Peace Deal, saying in an interview Tuesday that walking away from Ukraine is not off the table, and that Ukraine needs to “play ball.” Ukraine is now expected to present a revised peace plan (Trump’s initial 28-point Ukraine Peace Plan can be found here) after Zelensky once again repeated Monday that he will not give up territory, saying, "We have no legal right to do so, under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don't have any moral right either."
Trump’s Ukrainian Peace Plan is widely believed to favor Russia, giving them a guarantee that NATO will not expand further, and granting them substantial portions of the Ukrainian land they have captured so far. However, the reality is that Russia has the more powerful military and is winning the war. So the only way to avoid favoring Russia in a peace plan is to escalate the conflict, with either increased aid or international troops on the ground, which both the UK and France have proposed. This obviously carries major risks, and reaching a viable peace deal now, while Ukraine still holds significant territories, is the best possible outcome. The result of the ongoing peace talks will ultimately rest on whether or not a deal can be found that Ukraine finds acceptable, and that Russia perceives as a victory.
In other news, Zelensky has said Ukraine is "ready for elections” if the US and Europe can “ensure security for the elections,". Zelensky’s five-year presidential term ended in May 2024, but elections were postponed due to martial law being in effect. Speaking to reporters following Trump’s interview Tuesday, Zelensky said “I've heard hints that we're clinging to power, or that I personally am clinging to the presidency", which he called "frankly, a completely unreasonable narrative”. Elections are rarely held during wartime due to the inherent difficulties of enabling displaced citizens and soldiers to vote, and protecting polling sites. It would also require Zelensky, and other major figures in government, to run campaigns, distracting them from their wartime duties. The impractically of wartime elections brings into question why Zelensky would even suggest it, but it’s likely not that complicated. As he said, he’s willing to hold elections as long as the US and Europe “ensure security for the elections," a vague caveat that really just means he’s willing to hold elections once a viable peace deal has been struck. In the meantime, expressing his willingness for elections helps dispel the perception that he might be using the war to cling to power.
