A former NATO representative issued a startling warning on Tuesday about President Donald Trump's latest peace plan for the war in Ukraine during a radio interview.
Trump's latest peace plan included 28 points that some analysts felt heavily favored Russia's ambitions in the war. The plan included provisions requiring Ukraine to give up its pursuit of joining NATO, significantly reduce the size of its military, and give up land occupied by Russian forces, among others.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for roughly five hours on Tuesday to discuss the plan, CNN reported. It is unclear whether any changes have been made to the plan following the meeting.
John Lough, a former NATO representative to Russia, discussed the peace deal in a new interview with Times Radio.
"So this process is going to go on, but I do think it's reached a stage where the Ukrainians understand that Trump is going to have one last shot at this, and if he doesn't succeed, then he'll walk away, and he will probably do his own deal with Russia to restore U.S.-Russia relations," Lough said.
Trump's support for Ukraine has waxed and waned throughout his second administration. During the campaign, he promised to end the war on his first day in office. However, the war has dragged on for more than a year since he was elected.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also felt Trump's often unpredictable wrath. Trump berated Zelensky during a tense White House visit earlier this year, and Trump has often repeated Russian talking points about Ukraine starting the war.
Lough warned that Trump turning his back on Ukraine could have a devastating impact on their ability to keep fighting the war.
"He would also cut off any further support for Ukraine, particularly intelligence support, and he might not even sell military equipment to the Europeans to keep Ukraine armed," he continued. "So I think there's this realization that we're entering this critical phase of the war where the Ukrainians face a terrible choice."