Peace plan

President Trump should be thanked for his assiduous efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. His 28-point plan to terminate the acrimony, merits serious attention. The Trump Plan meets two central principles. First, that Ukraine will not join NATO. Second, that Ukraine can join the European Union.

For the time, agreement on these two points should be adequate to have a ceasefire. There can be differences of opinion and further discussions on the balance 26 points in the peace proposal. These can be thrashed out, at subsequent meetings, over a period of time.

It is time, people in Ukraine live normal lives again, without the fear of bombs or drones raining on them every night. About 1.5 million soldiers and civilians have already died in his brutal war since 2022, in both countries.

Ukraine has depended heavily on Europe and the USA for military equipment and finance, during the last four years of the war. How long will the West support Ukraine? Many of the European economies are growing at low rates of one to 1.5 percent per annum. They are under economic pressure.

President Zelanskyy should not stand on pride or status. Nor should he let other nations influence his decision-making. The people of Ukraine have suffered in this protracted war. They are exhausted. So, Ukraine should cut its losses and make peace with Russia. Then, millions of refugees can begin the long march back to their devastated homes and start rebuilding their lives.

Rajendra Aneja, Mumbai, India