Shortly after his recent meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, Trump posted, “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin,” and “China can help.” That latter remark has suddenly gained more significance after Trump extended the unusual invitation for the Chinese leader to attend the January 20 ceremony.
Leaving aside whether Xi will accept Trump’s invitation to Washington – he probably won’t – the bigger question is whether it will actually help Trump end the conflict.
At first glance, Trump’s proposal and the one China recently put forward with Brazil seem like two reasonably well-aligned peace plans.
Both call for a ceasefire along the current front lines, followed by negotiations on a permanent settlement. Both seem to accept Russia’s demand to freeze the territorial status quo, which would mean Ukraine would lose about 20 per cent of its territory that Moscow’s forces have illegally occupied since 2014.
