Trump’s Bizarre Peace Plans

The war in Ukraine, which begun after Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, has evolved into an even more lethal and destructive conflict that threatens to spill into a nuclear war. Independent estimates indicate that Russia may have lost between five to nine lakh soldiers, while Ukraine’s military losses are assessed to be between four to six lakh. These staggering numbers do not include the thousands of civilian deaths, the millions displaced, and the immense destruction of towns, infrastructure, and economic assets. Ukraine’s economic losses are estimated at around 150 to 180 billion dollars, while Russia’s losses may also be in the range of 180 to 200 billion dollars. These figures reflect the immense cost of a war that continues without any sign of meaningful closure. International efforts to negotiate peace have been persistent but largely ineffective. In this complex setting, US President Donald Trump, has positioned himself at the centre of emerging proposals for ending the conflict. His earlier engagement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had already generated an uproar in the west. During that meeting, Trump asked Zelenskyy to surrender territories seized by Russia and even cede additional areas as a compromise for peace. Ukraine rejected this outright, viewing it as a violation of sovereignty. The European Union(EU) supported Ukraine’s stance, insisting that land captured through force cannot be legitimised and that any peace must begin with restoration rather than concessions. Trump’s more recent proposals indicate that he continues to press Ukraine to accept terms aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands. This has caused concern among European allies, especially given the widely held perception that Trump and Putin share a deep political and ideological understanding. The pattern becomes even more troubling when compared with Trump’s position on the crisis in Gaza. As Israel devastates neighbourhoods, destroys homes, and inflicts enormous civilian suffering, Trump has turned a deaf ear. His stand was amplified by the use of US war planes to bomb Iranian nuclear reactors. Trump’s reluctance to criticise Israel and his unwillingness to confront Russia over the large-scale destruction and civilian casualties in Ukraine fits his world view. Two clear themes emerge from these choices. Trump appears to place little value on justice or international norms that protect sovereign nations. His approach seems driven by personal interests rather than by any broader moral or humanitarian principle. His closeness to Benjamin Netanyahu shapes his stance on Israel. His alignment with Putin also influences his approach to Ukraine. In both cases, the suffering populations gain no meaningful recognition in his geopolitical calculus. Trump’s much-publicised Ukraine peace plan, which he promotes as a comprehensive framework for resolving conflicts, has limited credibility unless it acknowledges that Ukraine’s territorial integrity cannot be compromised. No sovereign nation can be expected to hand over land taken by invasion, especially when such acts violate basic international standards. The same principle applies to Gaza. Any lasting settlement requires Israel to respect Palestinian land and rights. Without such commitments, peace becomes merely a transaction rather than a fair and lasting resolution. For Trump, peace appears to be an arrangement shaped by strategic bargains rather than a pursuit grounded in justice. His worldview is defined by personal equations and tactical deals, and this remains the fundamental contradiction that undermines his approach to global conflicts.