Ukraines Next Steps

Russia invaded Ukraine, but you wouldn’t know that from the peace negotiations.At every step, President Trump has pushed the victim to give ground, while the aggressor has given little of substance.Yesterday brought the latest example.

Vice President JD Vance laid out a peace proposal that sharply favors Russia, my colleagues David Sanger, Michael Shear and Mark Landler wrote.Ukraine would have to give up the territory that Russia took during the war as well as any chance to join NATO.

Vance said the Trump administration would walk away if both sides didn’t accept its terms.The comments clearly targeted Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who said this week that he would not preemptively cede Crimea, the region Russia invaded a decade ago.Trump echoed Vance on social media.

Zelensky “can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump said.This is now a familiar pattern in the American-led peace process: The administration frames its terms as demands for Russia and Ukraine, but only Ukraine has to give up something meaningful.And if Ukraine refuses, the White House lashes out.After Trump took office, he demanded that Ukraine surrender its mineral wealth to the United States in exchange for continued support.

After an Oval Office clash between Trump and Zelensky, the United States cut off Ukraine aid.To make amends, Ukraine said it would accept a cease-fire if Russia did as well.Russia did not.

Yet Trump didn’t punish Moscow; he rewarded it.He exempted Russia from his so-called reciprocal tariffs.

Last week, the United States voted with Russia on a U.N.resolution about the war....