Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours would be a “clear” victory for Vladimir Putin and a “death sentence” for Ukraine, according to a global affairs expert. The US President-elect has repeatedly claimed he could settle the conflict in one day, with reports suggesting his plan involves freezing the current front line, creating an 800-mile buffer zone, and delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership for 20 years.
Professor Anthony Glees, a security and intelligence expert at the University of Buckingham, warned that such a deal would effectively deny Ukraine sovereignty and embolden Putin to pursue further expansion. “Trump’s deal would be a death sentence for Ukraine and for Zelensky, perhaps literally,” Glees told The Mirror. “It would also be a death knell for NATO as we know it.”
Glees argued that Putin’s ultimate goal is to restore the former Soviet Union, and that conceding territory now would lead to future aggression against other NATO members, including Poland and the Baltic states. He compared the situation to Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler in 1938, saying Trump risks making the same mistake by trusting Putin.
Tensions have escalated after Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles against targets inside Russia, and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles were reportedly fired into Russia last week. Meanwhile, Russia has deployed its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which could reach Britain in 20 minutes.
Glees emphasised that peace cannot be achieved through concessions alone. “The only way to keep the peace is to be prepared to fight those who don't believe in it,” he said, adding that Trump’s approach would lead to decades of conflict.
