Fresh off his face-to-face humiliation that was the last act of Pope Francis’s papacy, Vice President JD Vance went to London to present the American plan for ending the war that resulted from the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, a war that did not end on day one as promised by the president to whom Vance has pledged undying fealty. (Have I mentioned how exhausted I am by all this winning?)
To the surprise of approximately nobody, the U.S. plan as The New York Times puts it oh so politely “closely mirrors longstanding Russian demands.”
Vance’s Controversial Peace Proposal
On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance called on Ukraine to accept an American peace proposal that closely mirrors longstanding Russian demands, including a “freeze” of territorial lines in the three-year war, acceptance of the annexation of Crimea by Russia, and a prohibition on Ukraine becoming part of the NATO alliance. I guess the phrase “completely sells out a democratic American ally” never occurred to the foreign desk.
It was the first time a U.S. official had publicly laid out a cease-fire deal in such stark terms. The comments by the vice president appeared designed to increase pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who has long refused to accept Russia’s occupation of his country’s lands, including the seizure of Crimea in 2014 and territory taken by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in early 2022. Mr. Vance, speaking during a trip to India, said the United States would “walk away” from the peace process if both Ukraine and Russia refused to accept the American terms. But President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was clearly the target.
“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Mr. Vance told reporters. “The only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, to freeze this thing and to get on with the business of actually building a better Russia and a better Ukraine.”
Oh, shut up and eat your borscht.
How the Russians Would Benefit
Of course, the Russians will accept this, unless they get greedy and give Vance and the administration further instructions that include an annual tribute of eight gazillion U.S. dollars and Zelensky’s head on a golden platter. It gives them all they invaded for and room to grab some more, and it requires no recognition let alone reparation for the war crimes they have committed during their invasion.
“The current lines, or somewhere close to them, is where you’re ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict,” he added. “Now, of course, that means the Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own.” The vice president did not say what territory Russia would have to give up. This is what we high rollers call a “tell.” Another one is where Vance says the deal would freeze at “the current lines, or somewhere close to them.” In other words, the territorial part of the proposed U.S. deal is open to interpretation. I, for one, would not put much faith in Vladimir Putin’s notion of what “somewhere close to them” is.
Russia’s Perfect Deal
A peace plan that would leave Russian forces deep inside eastern Ukraine would be welcome news in Moscow. President Vladimir V. Putin has said for almost a year that he would accept a cease-fire in which Ukraine withdraws troops from the four regions that Moscow has claimed as its own and drop its aspirations to join NATO.
Typically, the tiny husk that once was Marco Rubio and that now occupies the secretary’s chair in the Department of State blessed the conference by leaving it.
Europe’s Frustration
The aggressive push for a deal by Mr. Trump’s administration is a blow to European leaders, who have spent weeks attempting to shore up Ukraine’s position by brokering peace talks. The first effort convened last week in Paris, and another session was set to start on Wednesday in London before Mr. Rubio announced on Tuesday night that he would no longer attend. Mr. Rubio’s decision to cancel caught the British government off guard, according to a British official who said that David Lammy, the foreign secretary, had fully expected the secretary of state in London on Wednesday.
Lower-level diplomats from Britain, France, Germany, Ukraine, and the United States still gathered for technical talks. But the absence of Mr. Rubio or Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s chief negotiator with Russia, raised fears that Ukraine and Europe were being marginalized as the Trump administration seemed to be working primarily with Russia. Day one is coming later than planned.
