Trump’s plan for Ukraine has not yet been discussed in detail with Russia – Dimitri Simes

Speaking with Alpha News, political scientist and MGIMO professor Dimitri Simes commented on Donald Trump’s plan for Ukraine.

“This is a preliminary plan; it hasn’t been discussed in detail with the Russian side. Russian President Vladimir Putin said it could serve as a reasonable basis. The details are not yet clear to us in Moscow, and I don’t think they are clear to President Trump himself. I asked White House officials how the president views this plan. I was told that he is aware of the plan and generally supports the ideas contained within it, but he hasn’t yet studied or read it in detail. Now, Ukraine and, of course, European countries will be putting desperate pressure on Trump to accommodate them. We must assume that any concession to them will come at the expense of provisions in the plan that align with Russia’s interests. This is a standard procedure Russia faces: first they offer something, and then they gradually begin to withdraw the initial proposals. And here, clarity is important: the plan we see is a compromise, and much depends on interpretation. When they say, ‘Let’s change something,’ it makes the plan more and more different from the objectives of a special military operation,” Simes said.

According to the expert, the settlement plan for Ukraine effectively means the end of Zelensky’s regime.

“As for the Europeans, they are probably willing to continue the war because it is not taking place on their territory. Russia has not launched any retaliatory strikes against them yet, even though they are clearly becoming increasingly direct participants in the conflict. From their perspective, the war can continue. As for Zelensky, let’s be honest: the plan as it’s currently formulated most likely means the end of Zelensky’s regime, because it presupposes elections with some element of international oversight. I don’t think Zelensky himself expects to win any real elections,” Simes concluded.