On the verge of World War III?

The United States is a great democracy and its presidential election process a fascinating public display that a yetto-mature young democracy like ours would like to emulate.

But the flaw of the US political system is not to restrict the power of an outgoing president to make decisions that could put the country on the brink of war, or declaring war after he has been defeated in an election. He should not start a war when he is on the way out that would burden the next president.

That is exactly what US President Joe Biden wants to do. He authorised Ukraine to use US made long-range missiles to be used against Russia. With Ukrainian soldiers unable to operate those missiles, obviously they would be operated by American military personnel.

That is a careless declaration of nuclear war, bound to be inherited by Donald Trump. Trump and Congress must stop Biden’s Armageddon before we all perish in his foolish decision.

But there is hope with Trump’s declared “clear plan” to stop the conflict in Ukraine in 24 hours. According to The Wall Street Journal, his plan involves creating a demilitarised zone along the front line, while maintaining control over parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions for Russia. The plan may also imply Ukraine should not join Nato for at least 20 years.

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In an interview with Fox News, Trump indicated he told Volodymyr Zelensky in a telephone conversation that it was pointless to continue the conflict.

Vice-president-elect JD Vance, who is more forthcoming on the need to end the war in Ukraine and Gaza than Trump, says the US “doesn’t have to like Russia” and agree with Russia, but Washington will have to “engage in real diplomacy” with Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the conflict.

He believes Ukraine needs to “cede some territory” and is supported by some Ukrainian politicians tired of the war because, as they told Vance, they don’t have manpower, equipment and money to carry on with the war.

This happens because even in Israel, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had enough of the war and suggested the need for a solution, before he was fired by Zionist Benjamin Netanyahu.

Vance’s sentiment was backed by Elon Musk, a close associate of Trump’s who said in March that Ukraine authorities should begin a dialogue with Russia before it loses even more territory, including access to the Black Sea. Musk was concerned that Biden sabotaged the initial peace agreement reached between Russia and Ukraine brokered by Türkiye in Istanbul in 2022.

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But Trump’s claim that he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours is obviously an exaggeration. Even Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, alluded to Trump’s hyperbole, saying the Kremlin remembers the Republican’s promise to resolve the conflict even before his inauguration.

“If the new administration seeks peace and not a continuation of the conflict, it will be better than the previous one,” Peskov said.

Even with the hot-under-the-collar Keir Starmer raring for a battle, Europe is obviously unlikely to sustain any war without the US. A Nato without America is as good as dead, if there ever was any need for its continued existence since the Soviet era Cold War.

Although Trump is trusted by Putin and the US has overarching influence over Ukraine, ending the war would present a challenge because Russia and Ukraine won’t want to concede anything.

So, if Trump really intends to end the conflict, he needs to present the situation in such a way that it appears Russia did not win this conflict, and Ukraine did not lose – that is, it defended its independence and sovereignty.

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