
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Putin is now offering a three day ceasefire starting on May 11. ; It will coincide with Russia celebrating the 80<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. But let us not kid ourselves—this is not about a peace plan or a ceasefire. It is not a humanitarian demonstration of good will and good faith. ; ; Putin does not embrace those concepts.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It is a public relations gimmick – designed to make it appear that Putin is serious about ending the war. It is a meaningless gesture, even if Putin adheres to his ceasefire – and that always remains in doubt. Remember Putin’s Easter truce? It lasted about as long as the proverbial snowball in Hades. Ukrainian officials reported hundreds of violations within hours.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Putin has a second – and perhaps more important&#8211; reason for promoting a ceasefire during that particular time. ; It is the reason he picked that future date instead of starting immediately. ; The last thing Putin wants is to have Ukraine pull off some high visibility attack that would embarrass Putin as he celebrates the historic World War II victor – maybe the assassination of another high-ranking general &#8230; or sinking another Russian battleship &#8230; ; or a major offensive with a high casualty count &#8211;or even a drone attack on Moscow. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Obviously, this is not an offer that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy or President Trump should entertain. Doing so would be a mistake of monumental proportions.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Pushing aside Putin’s bad faith proposal, what is next for Trump? As I noted in a previous commentary, Putin is making a chump of Trump. He has proven that Trump’s self-assessment of being able to deal with Putin is wrong. Offering to meet virtually all of Putin’s demands, Trump has still not been able to get Putin to the negotiating table. In fact, Putin has become ever more aggressive in his bombing of Ukraine. Trump’s response has been to threaten more sanctions and express his disappointment with Putin. All talk. No action.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, what are the specifics of Trump’s peace plan – as of this writing? ; And will his strategy change?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>The Crimea</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Russia waltzed in and took the Crimea by force in 2014. President Obama and NATO played Neville Chamberlain. Trump’s plan is to let Putin have it permanently. He has told Zelenskyy and the world that the Crimea goes to Russia.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Crimea isn’t just a chunk of land—it’s a strategic goldmine. By giving it up, we are not just betraying Ukraine, we are setting a precedent that tells Putin that if you are big enough and bad enough, you can take whatever you want.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Eastern Ukraine</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But wait, there’s more. Trump’s plan does not stop at Crimea. It suggests Ukraine should wave the white flag on other territories—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia. You know &#8230; the places where Ukrainians are still fighting tooth and nail to defend their homeland.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>No NATO in Ukraine’s future</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There was once a widely held belief that Ukraine would eventually join NATO. The fear of that is often cited as the reason Putin invaded Ukraine. When Trump says that Ukraine started the war, he is alluding to the NATO possibility as the provocation for Putin’s invasion – and attempt to seize all of Ukraine. Even if that did provoke Putin, it does not justify the invasion.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Not only does Putin not want Ukraine in NATO, he also does not want the nation to have ANY security agreements with other nations &#8212; especially the United States and NATO nations. ; There can only be one reason for that demand. ; Putin still covets all of Ukraine and wants the country to be as defenseless as possible against a future invasion. ; And Trump has surrendered that point to Putin.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Save the children</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And then there’s the human cost. It is estimated that more than 700,000 Ukrainian children are reported to have been “transferred” to Russia – claiming they are being protected from the war. Conversely, it has been reported that many of the older teens are being pressed into fighting against their own nation – and loved ones. It is family separation of the worst kind. Trump and administration officials have been silent on this issue. Is he going to allow Putin to keep the kids like he can keep the Crimea?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Can You Trust Putin?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Can you trust Vladimir Putin? If your answer is anything other than “absolutely not,” you might want to revisit the last decade of Russian foreign policy. Putin does not do deals; he does power plays. Trusting him to honor a peace agreement is like trusting MSNBC to provide fair and balanced coverage.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Trump needs to man up</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">With Putin playing the President like a bass fiddle, is there a chance that Trump will come to his senses and realize that playing patty-cake with Putin is a losing proposition? Trump prides himself that he is an extraordinary deal maker, but you cannot make a deal with someone whose only intention is to roll you. You cannot make a fair deal if you concede on all the critical issues before getting to the negotiating table. Putin only wants concessions, not compromise. There is only one way to deal with a man like Putin – that is to defeat him.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Summary</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump’s peace plan is not a plan for peace. ; It’s a plan for Ukraine to capitulate. It rewards aggression, sacrifices sovereignty, and ignores the human cost of war. It sets the stage for a future invasion. ; Ukraine deserves better. The world deserves better. And history will not be kind to those who choose appeasement over principle.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, there ‘tis.</p>

Putin’s proposed 3-day ceasefire is a Russkie ruse
