Ukraine Peace Negotiation: U.S. Must Not Allow Russia to Gain from War

Editorial

15:02 JST, December 4, 2025

Although there is an urgent need to end the fighting, allowing Russia — which launched the aggression against Ukraine — to gain from the war would break down international order.

To prevent a situation in which “the first to strike wins,” the United States should mediate ceasefire negotiations while respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and other officials who visited Moscow. The U.S. side presented its latest peace proposal concerning Ukraine, but Putin did not accept it, and it has been agreed that negotiations will continue.

While details of the peace proposal have not been disclosed, U.S. President Donald Trump’s initial proposal as presented to Ukraine comprised 28 points, reportedly demanding the cession of two eastern regions and Ukraine’s abandonment of its pursuit of membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, among others.

This amounted to Washington’s complete acceptance of Russia’s demands. It was quite natural that Ukraine and the European countries that support it opposed the initial proposal, forcing revisions to it.

One cannot help being concerned over the Trump administration’s conciliatory stance toward Russia. In particular, Witkoff reportedly communicated with an individual close to Putin and compiled a pro-Russian peace proposal. He has also has been criticized in the U.S. Congress as being unsuited for the role of negotiator.

It has been said that Trump’s eagerness to achieve peace stems from his aim to secure diplomatic achievements, which he hopes will lead to victory for his party in U.S. midterm elections in the autumn next year and his winning a Nobel Peace Prize.

However, compelling Ukraine to submit after it has faced Russia’s aggression and forcibly ending the war would amount to accepting a change of the status quo by force.

This could provoke new aggressions by major powers other than Russia in other regions. Far from being a “peacemaker,” Trump could leave behind the stigma of being a “destroyer of peace.”

It seems realistic to first prioritize Ukraine and Russia agreeing to a cessation of fighting, and then addressing difficult issues such as to whom the two eastern regions belong during post-ceasefire peace negotiations.

To that end, it is necessary to make Russia recognize that it cannot force Ukraine into submission by military means. It is essential that the United States and Europe continue military support for Ukraine and deal a blow to Russia through economic sanctions.

Meanwhile, in addition to the worsening war situation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration is in a predicament due to a corruption scandal involving the state nuclear power company. Zelenskyy dismissed his chief of staff, who was the second most powerful person in the administration and had led negotiations with the United States, raising concerns about a negative impact on peace talks.

Corruption is a serious situation in that it dampens the morale of the people suffering under war and arouses distrust among supporting nations such as the United States, Europe and Japan. Zelenskyy must work to dispel these domestic and international anxieties.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 4, 2025)