Halifax, Canada — Sen.Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican who rarely criticizes Donald Trump, called the president’s new 28-point proposal to end the war in Ukraine a “so-called ‘peace plan’” that rewards “one of the world’s most flagrant war criminals.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called the plan “a capitulation” to Vladimir Putin and said the Russian leader “has spent the entire year trying to play President Trump for a fool.” And Sen. Tom Tillis, R-N.C., called the proposal a win for Putin that should be reversed.
“Vladmir Putin is a murderer, a rapist and an assassin,” Tillis said. “There is no quarter for a human being like that.”
The Republican criticism of Trump’s latest peace plan in the long-running conflict between Russia and Ukraine is one sign that the White House overture is on politically shaky ground. The plan essentially demands that Ukraine cede territory, substantially reduce its army and eliminate some of its arms.
“Vladmir Putin is a murderer, a rapist and an assassin,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. “There is no quarter for a human being like that.”
And it opens the door to questions about what Trump will do if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as widely expected, fails to accept the peace plan by Thanksgiving Day as the U.S president has demanded.
Asked by a reporter as he left the White House on Saturday if the plan was his final offer, Trump replied, “No, not my final offer.”
Asked if he would end U.S. military and intelligence support for Ukraine if Zelensky failed to agree, Trump mocked the Ukrainian leader, “Then he can continue to fight his little heart out.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
As U.S., Ukrainian, Canadian and European officials and experts met on Saturday at the Halifax International Security Forum , there was widespread confusion about what Trump might do if Zelensky rejects the plan.
Critics called the proposal a rushed effort by Trump to continue his drive to win the Nobel Peace Prize. But there was uniform agreement that it would be foolish for Zelensky to reject the plan outright and risk angering Trump. The United States has been Ukraine’s primary benefactor as it defends itself from Russia’s invasion four years ago.
What Trump’s proposal actually entails remains unclear. The exact text of the plan, which presidential envoy Steve Witkoff brokered with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Miami and without Ukrainian involvement remains secret. American senators and European officials alike said they have only heard about the contents of the plan, which was first leaked to Axios, from press reports.
Officials and foreign policy experts, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing fear of retaliation from Trump, said they had given up trying to predict what the president might do if Thursday ends without a peace deal. One U.S. senator, asked if he had any sense, replied, “None, none whatsoever.”
Trump has toggled between threatening Ukraine and warning Russia about imminent sanctions and other punishment if the warring leaders don’t agree on a path to ending hostilities. The U.S. president is known for issuing dramatic ultimatums on a range of issues and then standing down. But finding a means to end the war has frustrated Trump, who over the summer said he was “very angry” with Putin. Officials and experts said that Trump’s most powerful leverage against Ukraine’s government would be to stop providing U.S. intelligence that helps Ukrainian forces conduct long-range missiles and drone strikes against Russian facilities and forces. Ukrainian officials said such a move would not impact Ukrainian forces on the front line who have learned to use drones to detect Russian attacks or troop movements. Drones now account for 80% of Ukrainian attacks on Russian forces, compared to long-range artillery and rockets. Trump could also halt a program he started where American weapons are sold to European countries, which are then provided to Ukraine. But analysts said that was unlikely since Trump supports the weapons sales, which aid U.S. defense firms and allow U.S. forces to purchase newer weapons. The dynamic that could drive Trump, some observers predicted, is domestic politics. If a large number of Republicans criticize the president, he could temper his stance toward Zelensky. Despite some vocal criticism, other Republicans appeared hesitant to defy Trump. Sen. John Hoeven R-N.D., said at the Halifax conference that he didn’t expect Ukraine to accept the current plan. He declined, though, to criticize Trump.
David Rohde
David Rohde is the senior national security reporter for MS NOW. Previously he was the senior executive editor for national security and law for NBC News. Recommended
