The Trump administration blindsided allies this week by announcing a Moscow-friendly “peace plan” for Ukraine. Although details are still emerging, available evidence suggests that the plan will not bring lasting stability to Europe and will, in all likelihood, only encourage Russia to expand its neo-imperialist invasions over the coming years.

During a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth divulged that the Americans will accept banning Ukraine from NATO and ceding most of its occupied territories to Russia to conclude a peace deal. Although the current frontlines would essentially be frozen, Ukraine, according to leaked details of the supposed plan, would be expected to hand back territory it occupied, as a bargaining chip, in Russia’s Kursk region.