Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has secured the Republican nomination for the presidency and is seen as a strong contender in the upcoming November elections, promises a dramatic change in American policy regarding the Russia-Ukraine war. He claims that if elected, he will succeed in brokering a deal between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin even before taking office, aiming to end the war "within 24 hours."
Trump has been reluctant to disclose details of his plan and how he envisions the war ending, but on Monday, The Washington Post revealed the details of his "secret plan." According to the report, based on anonymous sources who are familiar with the details, cited by the newspaper, Trump proposes pressuring Ukraine to relinquish parts of its territory – namely, the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed over a decade ago, and the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, where fierce battles have raged throughout the war – and agreeing to Russian control in these areas.
In private discussions, Trump expressed his belief that both Russia and Ukraine “want to save face, they want a way out.” A source who has directly discussed the matter with Trump revealed that Trump also mentioned that residents in certain parts of Ukraine would be open to the idea of becoming part of Russia.
The plan was described in the report as having slim chances of success. It's worth noting that Russia has officially annexed four regions it partially seized in Ukraine, and these regions include areas beyond the Donbas border—Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. On the other hand, Zelensky has reiterated multiple times that he will not agree to any territorial compromise.
The Post said claims made by Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban who recently visited Trump in Mar a Lago, that the Republican leader said he would not give Ukraine one cent, if elected, were wrong.
The Trump campaign declined to directly address questions for the report. “Any speculation about President Trump’s plan is coming from unnamed and uninformed sources who have no idea what is going on or what will happen,” campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “President Trump is the only one talking about stopping the killing.”