Donald Trump is ready to pressure Ukraine to cede Crimea and the Donbas border region as a price for peace with Russia, according to US media reports.
Citing “people familiar with the plan”, the Washington Post said that the blueprint is the cornerstone of Trump’s pledge to negotiate a deal between Kyiv and Moscow within 24 hours of being elected.
If correct, the policy would represent a reversal of the support given to Ukraine by Joe Biden’s administration.
However, despite repeatedly insisting he could bring a rapid end to the conflict that has killed thousands of soldiers and civilians, Mr Trump has yet to say publicly how this could be achieved.
His campaign dismissed the latest reports as “coming from unnamed and uninformed sources who have no idea what is going on or what will happen”.
Last month, after a meeting with the former US president, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Trump would turn off the financial taps that have enabled Ukraine to resist Russia.
“He will not give a penny in the Ukraine-Russia war. That is why the war will end,” Mr Orban said. He added that Mr Trump had “pretty detailed plans” on how to end the fighting.
‘Face-saving way out’
According to the Washington Post, Mr Trump believes that both Russia and Ukraine want a face-saving way out of the war.
At the same time, there is mounting opposition among many Republicans to continuing support for Ukraine, with Congress refusing to pass a comprehensive financial aid package.
Last month, Mr Biden managed to sidestep the congressional roadblock by finding $300 million in savings in the existing Pentagon budget to provide short-term aid to Kyiv.
“This ammunition will keep Ukraine’s guns firing for a period, but only a short period,” said Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser.
However, the administration has admitted that the package is inadequate to maintain Ukrainian resistance for much longer.
Some senior Republicans, notably South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, have voiced misgivings about Mr Trump’s reluctance to support Crimea, but they are increasingly in the minority, especially in the House of Representatives.
