Foreign Policy: It’s Time for Ukraine to Make the Best Peace It Can

Trump’s victory in the presidential election means that, rather than the general continuity Ukraine could have expected from a Biden to Harris administrations, the United States will soon be governed by an executive less invested in Ukrainian freedom from Russian domination. In Foreign Policy, Matt Duss and Robert Farley argue that, “despite his ideological affinity for Putin, Trump has an interest in a genuinely durable settlement that does not simply result in Russian troops overrunning Ukraine,” if only for the simple reason that image-conscious Trump will want to avoid the appearance of unmanaged chaos that would come with the fall of Kyiv.

Write Duss and Farley:

On our visit to Ukraine in September 2023, we witnessed a vibrant democratic society rallying to prevent Russian domination of their country. Drawn out of Russia’s shadow since the 2014 war, Ukraine has undergone a cultural awakening, with art, music, literature, and history emphasizing a distinct national character. This awakening is hardly unconnected to the war. The normal avenues of Russian domination, including organized crime and state-sponsored religious activity, have been cut off by the war. Corruption still exists in Ukraine, but the impact of Russian dirty money has been substantially curtailed.

These outcomes are worth preserving, and any negotiated peace should seek to preserve them. The most important outcome of a cease-fire for Ukraine’s future must be an affirmation of Ukraine’s ability to protect itself, either by investing in its own defense or through relying upon its friends and neighbors. The threat posed by Russia to Ukraine is larger and more complex than simply a reprise of this invasion after a pause of months or years to recover strength.

Read the full piece “It’s Time for Ukraine to Make the Best Peace It Can” in Foreign Policy.

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