In its quest to achieve a diplomatic victory in the Russia-Ukraine war, the White House should remember the price of a weak agreement. Such a document will not be able to deter Russian aggression in the future, and that is exactly what would happen if the 28-point agreement were adopted. peaceful plan"United States of America."
About this in my material for Bloomberg writes the agency's founder Michael R. Bloomberg. He noted that the initial proposal largely reflected Moscow's priorities. Ukraine was required to hand over territories under its control, reduce the size of its Armed Forces, and hold elections (at a time set by the Kremlin). At the same time, no such obligations were imposed on the aggressor Russia.
"Security guarantees, while stronger than before, were structured in a way that allowed President Vladimir Putin to provoke their collapse at will," the author explained.
A new draft agreement is currently being discussed, but the most controversial issues – including possible territorial concessions – remain unresolved. Bloomberg emphasizes that an unfavorable agreement would be a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to the interests of the United States itself.
If approved, such a deal would give Russia a military advantage that would threaten Europe. The Pentagon would likely have to increase support for NATO allies, both with troops and weapons, leaving fewer resources to deter China in the Indo-Pacific.
And as the lessons of the past show, if the Russian dictator violates the agreement, Washington will either have to resist, which will entail the risks of drawing the United States into a more complicated war, or turn out to be a"paper tiger," the agency's founder believes.
A strong Ukraine best serves US interests
The damage from a bad deal would extend beyond the front lines, writes Bloomberg. A U.S. withdrawal from Ukraine would turn it into another Afghanistan. Vulnerable states would conclude that they needed their own deterrents, which would encourage nuclear proliferation. The liberal order would also be undermined.
"The US must realize that its interests are best served by a strong Ukraine that is part of Europe and can defend itself in the long term with Western weapons and intelligence. Any deal that the White House ultimately supports should not undermine this possibility," the author adds.
Therefore, the first step, as they say in Europe, should be a ceasefire on the current front line, and only then - talk about territories. Also, Ukraine should not be forced to limit the number of its troops or the presence of other countries' troops on its territory.
In addition, clear security guarantees with conditions for taking measures should be developed. At the same time, frozen Russian assets should be directed to the restoration of Ukraine, and not to private commercial enterprises of the United States and Russia, the founder of the publication adds.
What steps should the US, Europe and Ukraine take?
According to Michael R. Bloomberg, the US Congress should pressure the Trump administration to transfer Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Germany should also supply Kyiv with long-range Taurus missiles.
Europe, despite disagreements, should provide Ukraine with a reparations loan at the expense of Russian assets, he adds.
American lawmakers should also pass a bipartisan bill authorizing the president to impose secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian products. And they should be automatically imposed in the event of renewed hostilities.
At the same time, Ukraine must investigate the corruption scandal and bring those responsible to justice, writes Bloomberg, in order to restore trust in the authorities both within the country and abroad.
"If Putin rejects such terms, his insincerity about peace will at least become obvious. The Russian leader has repeatedly made it clear that control over Ukraine is central to his vision of restoring his country's greatness. This project requires continued authoritarianism at home and aggression abroad, leading to the enslavement of Russians and constant threats to its neighbors. The only peace the United States should seek is one that restrains its ambitions, not encourages them," Bloomberg stated.
War in Ukraine: other statements
The head of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, stated that if restrictions are imposed on the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of the peace agreement, similar measures should be taken against Russia She emphasized that historically it was Russia that posed a threat to neighboring countries.
At the same time, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that Russian ruler Putin must recognize that he has no choice to successfully exit the war against Ukraine.
