Messrs. Kushner And Witkoff Toast Mazel tov! For Gift To… President Putin. Authors Celebrating Like A Passover Seder. In This Instance, The Exodus Represents The Interests Of Ukraine
Messrs. Kushner And Witkoff Toast Mazel tov! For Gift To… President Putin
Authors Celebrating Like A Passover Seder. In This Instance, The Exodus Represents The Interests Of Ukraine
Why Nothing About Reducing Size Of Ukraine Oblasts So Government Of Ukraine Not Surrendering Territory Not Controlled By The Armed Forces Of The Russian Federation?
President Trump Demanding Ukraine Accept Kushner/Witkoff Abomination Similar To How He Dealt With Banks He Owed Money- Accept My Terms Or I Declare Bankruptcy And You Lose Everything. Work With Me, Lend More Money To Me, And At Least You Have A Chance Of Repayment (For Ukraine, A Chance Of Survival).
Trump-Vance Administration Twenty-Eight Point Plan For The Russian Federation-Ukraine War, No Escaping Authors, Who Are Jewish, Incorporated Their Views About Gaza.
Unconscionable By Messrs. Kushner And Witkoff To Believe Appropriate To Profit From Use Of Russian Federation Central Bank Assets To Reconstruct Ukraine. Direct Consequence Of Two White Wealthy Real Estate-Focused Jewish Men Embracing Stereotypes. In Typical Fashion, They Believe Including Something Egregious Creates Something To Be Negotiated- Bargained. What They Did Reinforces Their Character Flaws And Suspicions Held By Many Toward Them.
The Statement In The Twenty-Eight Point Plan “shall be regarded as an attack threatening the peace and security of the transatlantic community” Is As Consequential As The Meaning Of Article 5 Of The NATO Charter- There Is No Required Military Response To Any Decision By The Government Of The Russian Federation. From Trump-Vance Administration Official, This Is A “Big Win” For The Government Of Ukraine. Fact Check- No It Is Not.
If The Twenty-Eight Point Plan As Presented Reflects What Messrs. Kushner And Witkoff Believe Is A Good Deal For Ukraine, Then The Brooklyn Bridge Is For Sale Too.
Terrifying To Citizens Of Ukraine: “We hope to iron out the final details... to draft a deal that is advantageous to them (Ukraine)” Trump-Vance Administration Official
The initial “Coalition of the Willing” pandemic-like political hysteria has lessened with respect to the twenty-eight (28) point Russian Federation-Ukraine conceptualization crafted by individuals within and individuals outside of the Trump-Vance Administration (2025-2029).
Now, after interested parties have skimmed, scanned, and studied each of the twenty-eight points, collective indigestion has replaced political hysteria.
Not a surprising aftermath from a document whose primary authors are white, male, wealthy, socially privileged, real estate-focused Jewish men. Due to their backgrounds, all disputes are viewed through the prism of a commercial transaction- and all remedies are viewed through the prism of money, or power; and who has it, who wants it, and who will keep it.
NOTE: Ironically, the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 22 November 2025 to 23 November 2025 in which Donald Trump, President of the United States (2017-2021 and 2025-2029), did not participate and dismissed as irrelevant, provided heads of state and heads of government who did participate with a real-time opportunity to meet and discuss how to respond to the Trump-Vance Administration twenty-eight point plan for the Russian Federation-Ukraine War.
That meeting opportunity would not have existed but for the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit. There are always unknowns that require attention- that is when multilateral engagements can provide consequential value. Yesterday, in Geneva, Switzerland, met representatives of the governments of the European Union (EU), France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, United States, and United Kingdom to discuss the Trump-Vance Administration proposal.
European Union (EU): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
For Steven Witkoff, Assistant to the President, Senior Advisor, and Special Envoy (2025- ) of the Trump-Vance Administration, and Jared Kushner, a son-in-law of President Trump, how they deployed to craft the twenty-eight-point State of Israel-Gaza (Palestine) conceptualization is instructive.
NOTE: Both embrace the use of their government connectivity for financial gain whether for themselves or members of their family. The President of the United States does the same.
The government of the State of Israel was the aggressor in the territory of Gaza, had the commercial, economic, financial, military and political power, was unlikely to relinquish any of it, so what it wanted and what it was willing to accept was far more material than what the Palestinian Authority (PA) wanted and was willing to accept.
With respect to the outcomes for the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza, Messrs. Kushner and Witkoff accepted three critical realities.
First, they knew from the outset that the government of the State of Israel would not hesitate to order the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to destroy and kill to achieve its objectives- as the government of the Russian Federation is doing in Ukraine.
Second, they knew from the outset that governments of countries opposing commercial, economic, financial, military, political, and societal decisions implemented in the territory of Gaza by the IDF would not implement, collectively, anything dissuasive- not use their military to force compliance, not use effective sanctions. Other than running their mouths, do nothing to inhibit the goals of the government of the State of Israel. Similarities to decisions taken by governments supporting Ukraine- support has its limits.
Third, Messrs. Kushner and Witkoff embraced their faith first and support for the State of Israel rather than the government they were supposed to represent. They were observant Jews first and United States citizens second. Although where Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (2019-2024; term extended due to imposition of martial law in 2022), is Jewish, faith sharing connectivity for Messrs. Kushner and Witkoff is of no consequence.
The publicly-stated goal of the Florida-based, Moscow-based, and Washington DC-based authors of the twenty-eight-point plan is for a cessation, disruption, or suspension of the military engagement by the armed forces of the Russian Federation within the internationally-recognized territory of Ukraine, which commenced in 2014 and accelerated in 2022.
On 24 February 2022, the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded and further invaded the territory of Ukraine in what Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation (2000-2008 and 2012- ), defined first as a Special Military Operation (SMO) and on 22 December 2022 defined as a war. The initial invasion of Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation was in part from the territory of Belarus.
The war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine did not commence on 24 February 2022. The roots began their trajectories on 20 February 2014 when the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded the Crimean Peninsula and the area known as the Donbas Region (Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast).
Examining three focuses of the Trump-Vance Administration plan. First, the provision of security guarantees. Second, the use of frozen assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. Third, the change in territory considered to be Ukrainian territory, by the United States, and not necessarily by other countries.
Number Five “Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees” and Number Ten “If Russia invades Ukraine, in addition to a decisive coordinated military response, all global sanctions will be reinstated, recognition of the new territory and all other benefits of this deal will be revoked.”
Further, the Trump-Vance Administration offers a “significant, deliberate, and sustained armed attack” into Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation “shall be regarded as an attack threatening the peace and security of the transatlantic community” and the government of the United States and its allies, presumably meaning the thirty-two members of the Brussels, Belgium-based North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will respond including with military assets.
NATO: United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Romania, Germany, Slovakia, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, Spain, Turkiye, Latvia, and North Macedonia, Sweden.
The government of Ukraine would be mistaken to believe the words in Number Five and Number Ten equate to “security guarantees” meaning as or similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter.
Article 5 of the NATO charter does not require any member to respond militarily- or respond in any manner, to an attack upon another NATO member. At the insistence of the United States government as NATO was created, enshrined in Article 5 was no requirement by one member to defend another member. The decision to assist is voluntary.
From NATO- Article 5
“With the invocation of Article 5, Allies can provide any form of assistance they deem necessary to respond to a situation. This is an individual obligation on each Ally and each Ally is responsible for determining what it deems necessary in the particular circumstances.”
“This assistance is taken forward in concert with other Allies. It is not necessarily military and depends on the material resources of each country. It is therefore left to the judgment of each individual member country to determine how it will contribute. Each country will consult with the other members, bearing in mind that the ultimate aim is to “to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.””
“At the drafting of Article 5 in the late 1940s, there was consensus on the principle of mutual assistance, but fundamental disagreement on the modalities of implementing this commitment. The European participants wanted to ensure that the United States would automatically come to their assistance should one of the signatories come under attack; the United States did not want to make such a pledge and obtained that this be reflected in the wording of Article 5.”
President Putin and his Kremlin-based team must believe they have won the lottery- and they would be correct. Vodka toasts all around. Messrs. Kushner And Witkoff are joining in multiple toasts of Mazel tov! to… President Putin. Stale matzo for President Zelensky.
The Trump-Vance Administration proposal for the use of frozen assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, regardless of the words used, is a repulsive abomination of stereotypical unvarnished financial greed symbolic of some New York, New York real estate magnates.
The words crudely and cruelly masquerade as a benevolent humanitarian reconstruction endeavor. A reader of the words contained in Number Fourteen must conclude they were crafted by the institutionalized- and by a team projecting their abject shallowness rather than thoughtfulness and fairness. The only “just” for them is defending what they want in compensation from the victims.
Frozen Funds
Number Fourteen states “Frozen funds will be used as follows: $100 billion in frozen Russian assets will be invested in US-led efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine; The US will receive 50% of the profits from this venture. Europe will add $100 billion to increase the amount of investment available for Ukraine's reconstruction. Frozen European funds will be unfrozen. The remainder of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russian investment vehicle that will implement joint projects in specific areas. This fund will be aimed at strengthening relations and increasing common interests to create a strong incentive not to return to conflict.”
The most obvious question: Who should pay for the damage inflicted on Ukraine first since 2014 and more recently since 2022? For the territory of Gaza, the just result is taxpayers of the State of Israel to use some of their approximately US$200+ billion in foreign reserves to rebuild what the IDF destroyed. In Ukraine, the just result is taxpayers of the Russian Federation to use frozen assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation to rebuild what the armed forces of the Russian Federation destroyed. Why are those outcomes impossible for Messrs. Kushner and Witkoff to comprehend? No profit in it for them.
There are approximately US$320 billion in assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation frozen in countries in Asia, Europe, and the United States since 24 February 2022.
Those funds were to be used for the reconstruction and repair of Ukraine for damage inflicted by the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
While the principal has yet to be invaded, annual interest accrued by the US$320 billion has been used as direct support to Ukraine.
The European Union (US$30 billion share) and the United States (US$20 billion share) have used US$50 billion of those frozen assets as a guarantee to fund a loan to Ukraine; provisions of that loan provide for the loan to be forgiven, which is basically what the Biden-Harris Administration (2021-2025) did with its US$20 billion portion of the loan, meaning that United States taxpayers paid for it.
The government of Ukraine and the European Union are considering using US$140 billion of the frozen funds for direct support to Ukraine- budget and military. There is yet no consensus for European Union member countries.
If the US$140 billion is used, that means: U$320 billion less US$50 billion less US$140 billion leaves US$140 billion.
The estimated cost to reconstruct and repair damage to Ukraine inflicted since 24 February 2022 by the armed forces of the Russian Federation is US$350 billion to US$500 billion with some estimates substantially higher.
There are yet no estimates to the value of civil claims by citizens of Ukraine against the government of the Russian Federation and for civil claims by citizens of Ukraine against the government of Ukraine. Civil claims would be filed in country jurisdictions wherever there are (or were) assets of the government of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation-based companies, and other Russian Federation-based entities. Adjudication will take years- perhaps decades. There will be judicial judgements which may or may not be enforceable. Some civil cases will remain unresolved.
The wording in Number Fourteen is deliberately vague- what one would expect from a real estate marketing brochure- sounds good until reading the fine print. In this instance, the fine print is hiding in plain sight. Some questions:
Do United States taxpayers and European Union taxpayers get repaid their US$50 billion from the US$320 billion?
The United States and Europe will each extract US$100 billion for the reconstruction of Ukraine and for investments in Ukraine. One way to read the text is from the US$320 billion (or US$270 billion) will be extracted US$100 billion for use by United States taxpayers to invest in the Russian Federation.
The use of the US$320 billion in assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation begs a question first posited in this space soon after 24 February 2022.
President Putin could have returned some or all of the funds on 23 February 2022 and nothing would have prevented the withdrawals. He did not. Did he believe then the funds would eventually be returned- in whole or in part? Was he prepared to use some or all the funds as a “cost of doing business” for decisions relating to Ukraine? Did he know use of the frozen assets would eventually fragment the European Union? Did he make a mistake?
Territory
In Number Twenty-One, “Territories: Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk will be recognized as de facto Russian, including by the United States. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will be frozen along the line of contact, which will mean de facto recognition along the line of contact. Russia will relinquish other agreed territories it controls outside the five regions. Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the part of Donetsk Oblast that they currently control, and this withdrawal zone will be considered a neutral demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. Russian forces will not enter this demilitarized zone.”
So many questions remain unanswered. Are the residents of these areas to be solely citizens of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, both? Will unimpeded movement of citizens of Ukraine be permitted? What about validity of passports, dual national authorization, mail delivery, pension payments?
As to the surrender of (property) real estate within the internationally-recognized territory of Ukraine, Messrs. Kushner and Witkoff, and President Trump view the result through the process of eminent domain whereby a government (local, state, federal) expropriates property (land, structure, etc.) with just compensation to the owner. Often, the process involves independent appraisers and the real estate owner filing a lawsuit to increase the price the government will pay for the property.
They accept “realities on the ground” that the government of the Russian Federation has control of approximately 20% of the internationally-recognized territory of Ukraine and through military action and implementation of sanctions has thus far and is likely to maintain control.
When the government of Ukraine maintains that its territory is not for sale, no one disagrees with them. However, the government of the Russian Federation is not a buyer. It took by force. It maintains by force. It is not interested in purchasing. It does not believe anything in return is required for it to maintain what it has taken.
One idea circulating within the diplomatic and intelligence community in Kyiv and Moscow would have the boundaries of Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia redrawn (reduced) to where the armed forces of the Russian Federation are in control. This would shrink the size of each oblast. Then, the government of Ukraine would not be surrendering territory that the government of Ukraine controls. The government of the Russian Federation could then claim complete control of the newly-drawn oblasts, thus fulfilling one of the objectives of the government of the Russian Federation.
LINK TO COMPLETE ANALYSIS IN PDF FORMAT
The Twenty-Eight Point Plan From The Trump-Vance Administration
1. Ukraine's sovereignty will be confirmed.
2. A comprehensive non-aggression agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine and Europe. All ambiguities of the last 30 years will be considered settled.
3. It is expected that Russia will not invade neighboring countries and NATO will not expand further.
4. A dialogue will be held between Russia and NATO, mediated by the United States, to resolve all security issues and create conditions for de-escalation in order to ensure global security and increase opportunities for cooperation and future economic development.
5. Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees.
6. The size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be limited to 600,000 personnel.
7. Ukraine agrees to enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO, and NATO agrees to include in its statutes a provision that Ukraine will not be admitted in the future.
8. NATO agrees not to station troops in Ukraine.
9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.
10. The U.S. guarantee: The U.S. will receive compensation for the guarantee; If Ukraine invades Russia, it will lose the guarantee; If Russia invades Ukraine, in addition to a decisive coordinated military response, all global sanctions will be reinstated, recognition of the new territory and all other benefits of this deal will be revoked; If Ukraine launches a missile at Moscow or St. Petersburg without cause, the security guarantee will be deemed invalid.
11. Ukraine is eligible for EU membership and will receive short-term preferential access to the European market while this issue is being considered.
12. A powerful global package of measures to rebuild Ukraine, including but not limited to: The creation of a Ukraine Development Fund to invest in fast-growing industries, including technology, data centers, and artificial intelligence. The United States will cooperate with Ukraine to jointly rebuild, develop, modernize, and operate Ukraine's gas infrastructure, including pipelines and storage facilities. Joint efforts to rehabilitate war-affected areas for the restoration, reconstruction and modernization of cities and residential areas. Infrastructure development. Extraction of minerals and natural resources. The World Bank will develop a special financing package to accelerate these efforts.
13. Russia will be reintegrated into the global economy: The lifting of sanctions will be discussed and agreed upon in stages and on a case-by-case basis. The United States will enter into a long-term economic cooperation agreement for mutual development in the areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centers, rare earth metal extraction projects in the Arctic, and other mutually beneficial corporate opportunities. Russia will be invited to rejoin the G8.
14. Frozen funds will be used as follows: $100 billion in frozen Russian assets will be invested in US-led efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine; The US will receive 50% of the profits from this venture. Europe will add $100 billion to increase the amount of investment available for Ukraine's reconstruction. Frozen European funds will be unfrozen. The remainder of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russian investment vehicle that will implement joint projects in specific areas. This fund will be aimed at strengthening relations and increasing common interests to create a strong incentive not to return to conflict.
15. A joint American-Russian working group on security issues will be established to promote and ensure compliance with all provisions of this agreement.
16. Russia will enshrine in law its policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine.
17. The United States and Russia will agree to extend the validity of treaties on the non-proliferation and control of nuclear weapons, including the START I Treaty.
18. Ukraine agrees to be a non-nuclear state in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
19. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will be launched under the supervision of the IAEA, and the electricity produced will be distributed equally between Russia and Ukraine — 50:50.
20. Both countries undertake to implement educational programs in schools and society aimed at promoting understanding and tolerance of different cultures and eliminating racism and prejudice:
Ukraine will adopt EU rules on religious tolerance and the protection of linguistic minorities. Both countries will agree to abolish all discriminatory measures and guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education. All Nazi ideology and activities must be rejected and prohibited.
21. Territories: Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk will be recognized as de facto Russian, including by the United States. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will be frozen along the line of contact, which will mean de facto recognition along the line of contact. Russia will relinquish other agreed territories it controls outside the five regions. Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the part of Donetsk Oblast that they currently control, and this withdrawal zone will be considered a neutral demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. Russian forces will not enter this demilitarized zone.
22. After agreeing on future territorial arrangements, both the Russian Federation and Ukraine undertake not to change these arrangements by force. Any security guarantees will not apply in the event of a breach of this commitment.
23. Russia will not prevent Ukraine from using the Dnieper River for commercial activities, and agreements will be reached on the free transport of grain across the Black Sea.
24. A humanitarian committee will be established to resolve outstanding issues: All remaining prisoners and bodies will be exchanged on an 'all for all' basis. All civilian detainees and hostages will be returned, including children. A family reunification program will be implemented. Measures will be taken to alleviate the suffering of the victims of the conflict.
25. Ukraine will hold elections in 100 days.
26. All parties involved in this conflict will receive full amnesty for their actions during the war and agree not to make any claims or consider any complaints in the future.
27. This agreement will be legally binding. Its implementation will be monitored and guaranteed by the Peace Council, headed by President Donald J. Trump. Sanctions will be imposed for violations.
28. Once all parties agree to this memorandum, the ceasefire will take effect immediately after both sides retreat to agreed points to begin implementation of the agreement.
Institute for the Study of War