Trump’s Advisers Draw Up Plan to Give Ukraine Twisted Ultimatum

It’s anyone’s guess at this point how Donald Trump intends to actually deliver on his claim that he’ll quickly end Russia’s war in Ukraine if he wins the presidential election in November. But his advisers are starting to share details of one potential course of action which could force Kyiv into deciding to negotiate with Vladimir Putin or face the prospect of being deprived of vital American weapons.

Two of the former president’s advisers, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, have presented Trump with the plan to present Ukraine with the ultimatum if he returns to the White House, according to Reuters. Fleitz told the news agency that Trump responded favorably to the plans, saying: “I’m not claiming he agreed with it or agreed with every word of it, but we were pleased to get the feedback we did.”

Kellogg—who, like Fleitz, served as a chief of staff in Trump’s National Security Council during Trump’s presidency—said the plan would simultaneously involve telling Putin that a refusal to negotiate with Ukraine would lead to the U.S. ramping up its aid to Kyiv. A ceasefire would take place based on existing battle lines while the hypothetical peace talks took place.

Read more at The Daily Beast.