Thus, Trump’s advisers unconditionally recommend freezing the conflict, handing over approximately 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory to Russia, and “temporarily suspending” Kiev’s efforts to join NATO. There is also a variant in which Ukraine would promise not to try to join NATO for at least 20 years, and in return the United States would continue to supply it with weapons
Although in two and a half months he will enter the Oval Office of the White House, the analyzes have already begun as to whether Donald Trump can fulfill his pre-election promises and bring peace to Ukraine and the Middle East. It is significant that no one mentions the term “just peace” because, let’s be realistic, that is not expected of Trump. “Donald Trump’s advisers offer a freeze on the war along the front line, the consolidation of occupied territories for Russia, a demilitarized zone and a ban on Kiev’s integration into NATO for 20 years,” the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources close to the president-elect.
20 YEARS OF WAITING
Thus, Trump’s advisers unconditionally recommend freezing the conflict, handing over approximately 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory to Russia, and “temporarily suspending” Kiev’s efforts to join NATO. There is also a variant in which Ukraine would promise not to try to join NATO for at least 20 years, and in return the United States would continue to supply it with weapons.
Also, after the freeze along the front line, it is proposed to create a demilitarized zone of approximately 1,200 kilometers, between the troops of Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Right now, it is not clear who will control it, but the possibility of deploying peacekeeping forces without the participation of US troops and any structures they fund, including the UN, is being considered.
DEMILITARIZED ZONE
The idea of ​​creating a demilitarized zone in Ukraine is not new. The first proposal was made at the beginning of the armed conflict between Kiev and Moscow-backed separatist forces, in September 2014 in the first Minsk agreement. On February 12, 2015, the Minsk 2 agreement was signed. However, this agreement was never fully implemented either. The number of casualties, of course, was significantly reduced and there were no new major offensives, but there were still casualties every day, and in some areas fighting continued as if no agreement had been signed. Proposals to create a demilitarized zone came from Moscow and Kiev even after Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine began in late February 2022.
EXAMPLES
A demilitarized zone is an area where treaties or agreements between states, military powers or conflicting groups prohibit any military infrastructure, activity or personnel. Freezing conflicts by creating a demilitarized zone is an old practice, which can indeed lead to the cessation of armed conflicts, but often not hostilities, and the finding of a final settlement of disputes and the establishment of real peace. An example of this is the two most famous demilitarized zones in the world – the one in Cyprus and the even more famous, famous Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which separates South Korea and North Korea.
LESSONS FROM CYPRUS
The demilitarized zone in Cyprus was established in 1974, when Turkey occupied the island, which has since been split in two. In the southern part is the Republic of Cyprus, and in the northern part is the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The demarcation line that separates the Greek and Turkish part of the island also passes through Nicosia, which after the fall of the Berlin Wall remained the only world capital divided into two parts.
Even after half a century of separation and decades of unsuccessful negotiations, there are no major developments or much optimism regarding the island’s reunification. The last round of negotiations failed in 2017, and before that Greek Cypriots rejected the UN-backed unification plan in a referendum in April 2004. The buffer zone runs from west to east, with crossings and border controls separating the predominantly Greek Cypriot part. of the island from the Turkish Cypriot part of the island.
