Peace agreements with the Kremlin are self-deception: a Trump supporter in the Senate shared his stance.
Republican Mike Rounds, regarded as one of Donald Trump's "allies" in the U.S. Senate, stated that trusting Russia is dangerous. He also believes that Russia's peace initiatives are merely a way to exploit weakness. The senator expressed regret that Ukraine has not received sufficient support from the United States.
Republican Mike Rounds voiced his strong disagreement with the idea of a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. This was reported by Politico.
"It would be wonderful to believe that you can negotiate with dictators. But we are fooling ourselves if we think that a tyrant will stop after taking part of a free country. There is no easy solution in this situation," Rounds stated at the Halifax International Security Forum.
The senator also emphasized that his stance does not represent the official viewpoint of Donald Trump's team. Rounds expressed disappointment that the United States has not been able to provide Ukraine with all the necessary resources to effectively counter Russian aggression.
Meanwhile, the head of NATO's Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer of the Royal Netherlands Navy, emphasized in an interview with Politico that support for Ukraine must continue, as it is crucial for the security of the entire world.
"I cannot imagine that a victory for Putin would be beneficial for the United States or any democratic country," Bauer said during a conference in Halifax.
What Peace Agreement Moscow Offered Ukraine
Russia proposed a "peace agreement" with terms resembling Ukraine's capitulation. The draft peace agreement consisted of 6 pages of the main contract, 4 pages of appendices, totaling 18 articles. The document requires Kyiv to reduce its army to 50,000 personnel and decrease the amount of military equipment. Additionally, our state would have to recognize the "independence" of the so-called "Donetsk and Luhansk republics" within the administrative borders of Ukraine and pay for the reconstruction of Donbas.
On November 11, Reuters reported that the upcoming months would be critical for the course of the war, and Ukraine aims to secure advantageous positions. On November 15, Trump stated that Russia and Ukraine should end the war, promising to work towards peace. On the same day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that under the Trump administration, the war with Russia would end sooner. According to the president, there was constructive interaction with Trump. Zelensky did not hear any objections from the U.S. regarding Ukraine's stance on the war.
At the same time, the Financial Times noted that during a hypothetical crisis in the White House, the Kremlin might escalate the situation in Ukraine - for instance, attempting to cripple its energy sector. On November 20, Reuters reported that Putin is willing to talk to Trump about ending the war but is not ready to concede any terms.