National Security Advisor to newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump, Mike Waltz, has recently been weighing several proposals to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. This includes suggestions from General Keith Kellogg, the author of a "peace plan," whom Trump has named as his candidate for Special Representative for Ukraine.
This information comes from CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The sources state that while work continues on specific details of the strategy, officials in the Trump administration are likely to "insist on an early ceasefire to temporarily freeze the conflict while both sides negotiate."
It is expected that representatives of the newly elected U.S. president will also push for European allies and NATO to shoulder a larger portion of the "burden of expenses" in supporting Ukraine.
"We must bring this to a responsible conclusion. We need to restore deterrence, rebuild peace, and get ahead of this escalation rather than reacting to it," Mike Waltz stated in a recent interview with Fox.
It is noted that the options for ending the war that Waltz is considering include a proposal from Keith Kellogg, which stipulates that continued American military assistance to Ukraine will depend on Kyiv's participation in peace talks with Russia and "an official U.S. policy aimed at achieving a ceasefire and resolving the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations." At the same time, Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO, according to this plan, will be "postponed" for an extended period to compel Russia to come to the negotiating table.
Another idea currently under discussion is that Russia will maintain control over the occupied territories of Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine gaining NATO membership. However, it seems that there are not many supporters within Trump's orbit for inviting Ukraine to join the Alliance anytime soon.
Nevertheless, CNN's sources emphasize that it is still "too early" to determine what the Trump team's strategy will be for ending the war in Ukraine. The Republican is known for frequently changing his position and messaging tactics, especially regarding foreign policy. Therefore, the planning process concerning Ukraine is likely to be "unstable," one source noted.
"Trump's allies, appointed to senior national security positions, have already publicly indicated that the newly elected president is considering a range of options to bring both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, including those that contradict his previously stated views on the conflict," journalists highlight.
In particular, Sebastian Gorka, whom Trump has chosen as one of Waltz's main deputies, recently referred to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as a "butcher." He added that the new administration may increase military assistance to Ukraine to achieve a swift end to the war.
"I'll give one hint that the president mentioned: he will tell this killer, a former KGB colonel, the butcher who runs the Russian Federation: 'You will negotiate now, or the aid we have provided to Ukraine so far will look like peanuts.' That's how he will force these gentlemen to come to an agreement to stop the bloodshed," Gorka said.
Ending the War in Ukraine: Other Statements
U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jahara "Frankie" Matiseck believes that a scenario in which the war in Ukraine ends with the establishment of a demilitarized zone is plausible. According to him, this would be similar to the division of Korea into two separate countries in the 1940s.
Moreover, Matiseck believes that the war in Ukraine could continue for another three years. However, he does not foresee Russia using nuclear weapons in the near future.