Plan from Hell

Who gets the cashicicle?

The Pursuit of Peace, ©2025 William L. Brown.

Please take a moment to contact your Congress-members and ask them to support a just peace for Ukraine.

This week, the Trump administration upended everything — again — by revealing a peace-plan that amounts to Ukraine’s capitulation. The 28-point plan was concocted in secret by US and Russian negotiators without consulting Ukraine or Europe. Trump threatens to cut off military aid and intelligence info (vital for targeting incoming missiles and drones) if Ukraine does not agree to the plan by Thanksgiving.

The plan contains no concessions from Russia, but many for Ukraine and NATO. Ukraine must concede territory it currently holds in the Donbas region, must reduce its military to 600,000, give up its long-range weapons, and not join NATO. NATO itself is restricted from “expanding.”

Instead of concessions, Russia gets rewards. It would be readmitted to the G8. Sanctions would be dropped.

The US also gets rewards. $100 billion in Russian assets, most of which are held in Brussels, NOT the US, “would be invested in US-led efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine. The US will receive 50% of the profits from this venture.” That’s a cute trick to funnel billions into US control, and then take half the profit. Who gets the other half is not explained.

Lavrov, Up or Down? ©2025 William L. Brown. There has been speculation for a few weeks that Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, may be losing favor in Putin’s Kremlin. He had no apparent role in the peace plan proposal.

Trump’s scheme proposes that Europe, which had no input in this plan, will add $100 billion for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

”The remainder of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russian investment vehicle that will implement joint projects in specific areas. This fund will be aimed at strengthening relations and increasing common interests to create a strong incentive not to return to conflict.”

Doesn’t that strike you as vague? What are “specific areas?” This JUST MIGHT be a formula for Trump and Putin to line their pockets with these funds, after taking them from Brussels and making Europe pay an equal amount.

Europe is on the verge of seizing those frozen Russian assets. The next discussion about it was scheduled for December 18 to address Brussel’s liability and security concerns. Trump’s proposal may have been timed to take that discussion off the table.

Who knows? Maybe this peace plan is all about those frozen assets, a tempting cashicicle for kleptocrats.

Ukraine and Europe have not rejected the plan outright. So far reactions have been diplomatic. Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy called for a “long-lasting and just peace.”

But, Ukraine’s president Zelensky gave a somber speech to his nation.“

Right now is one of the hardest moments in our history. Right now, Ukraine is under some of the heaviest pressure yet. Right now, Ukraine may find itself facing a very tough choice. Either the loss of our dignity or the risk of losing a key partner. Either the difficult 28 points, or an extremely hard winter – the hardest yet – and the dangers that follow. A life without freedom, without dignity, without justice. And that we trust someone who has already attacked us twice.

My hope is that the Europeans and Ukraine are speaking behind the scenes, coordinating a response to the US administration that might turn this around, or at least, aside.

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I went to Washington, DC and all I got was this drawing

US Capitol, ©2025 William L. Brown.

The cafeterias were not working, and most of the Congressional office building entrances were closed, but it was possible to enter and meet with Senators and Representatives, or as is usually the case, their staff.

So, despite the government shut-down, 500 or so Ukraine Action Summit delegates met October 28-29 with their elected Congress-members for the seventh time since the first summit in 2022.

The delegate’s presence was noticed.

Saying ”the American people have been raped and beaten” is hyperbole. It’s also offensive. “Raped and beaten” — as well as murdered, tortured, castrated, bombed and kidnapped — is literally what Ukrainians have suffered at the hands of Russia.

Also, the delegates were NOT asking for American money. Delegates were asking for four things: tougher sanctions, pressure on Russia to return abducted Ukrainian children, post-cease-fire security guarantees, and unfreezing Russian assets to pay for weapons and rebuilding.

This may all be irrelevant in the wake of Trump’s capitulation plan. Again, please contact your congress-members via the link above. And leave a comment on the White House website.