Trump must not enable Russia’s captive nations comeback

November 22, 2025 – The Ukrainian World Congress rejects the Trump administration’s Ukraine “peace plan,” a proposal that mirrors the Kremlin’s demands and pressures Ukraine to surrender its sovereignty. What Russia failed to achieve on the battlefield it is now trying to secure through political coercion, using the United States to enforce Putin’s ambitions.

Russia invaded Ukraine. It denies the existence of a Ukrainian nation, commits mass war crimes, and continues its campaign of destruction. Ukraine is the victim, not a bargaining chip. A plan crafted without Ukraine or its European partners, and offering no enforceable guarantees from Moscow or Washington, cannot bring peace. It is capitulation packaged as diplomacy.

This proposal would legitimize occupation, restrict Ukraine’s right to defend itself, and force millions of Ukrainians to live under permanent threat. It would reduce Ukraine to a captive nation and embolden Putin to push deeper into Europe. It would also undermine international law and severely damage the credibility of American leadership.

The UWC calls on President Trump to stand with Ukraine, which has bravely and successfully repelled Russia’s invasion and decimated much of its army, navy, and air force. We call on the American people to stand for freedom and reject any plan that rewards the aggressor and punishes the victim. We stand with President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people in rejecting Russia’s terms outright.

History is clear. Appeasement failed in Munich and led to the Second World War. It will fail again today. As UWC President Paul Grod states, “Peace cannot be imposed at the expense of justice. Any credible plan must begin with the full restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and robust security guarantees. Peace will never be achieved through captivity.”

 Let us remember the powerful words of President Ronald Reagan during Captive Nations Week, when he affirmed America’s solidarity with peoples seeking freedom from Soviet domination. He praised those nations, including Ukraine, for keeping “the light of freedom burning brightly” despite “military occupation and brutal totalitarian oppression.”