A Korean War Ending For the Ukraine War?

An Armistice and DMZ: The Best Idea to Keep the Peace in Ukraine and Russia—Former President Donald Trump has often said he would immediately work to end the war in Ukraine, repeatedly claiming that he could find a way to end hostilities in as little as 24 hours. He has amended that quick turnaround by saying that he would help both sides create a ceasefire before his inauguration day if he gets elected in November.

However, Trump had never offered details on what his peace plan would look like.

That all changed when running mate J.D. Vance appeared on the Shawn Ryan Show at the end of last week and gave some flesh to the bones of a peace plan. You hear it above.

What would the plan exactly look like?

Time for a Demilitarized Zone

“So, I think what this looks like is Trump sits down, he says to the Russians, the Ukrainians, the Europeans ‘You guys need to figure out what does a peaceful settlement look like?’” Vance told Ryan. “And what it probably looks like is the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine, that becomes like a demilitarized zone.”

The Republican vice-presidential nominee pointed out that the demilitarized zone would be “heavily fortified so the Russians don’t invade again.”

The DMZ Is My Idea

To say I was excited to hear these words would be an understatement.

The Korea-like DMZ between Russia and Ukraine is my original idea. I have worked on my own peace proposal in Ukraine that included a DMZ for the last 18 months or so.

In December 2022, at an unpublicized event at the Heritage Foundation for journalists and European diplomats about the war in Ukraine, I brought up my idea for an armistice and a Korea-like DMZ in a group discussion. Nobody was interested, but I was undeterred.

Is Anybody Listening?

I began posting about the Ukraine DMZ idea on social media that month, and few people interacted with this content. My new book on U.S. grand strategy has many pages about my DMZ proposal, but the idea could not break through the foreign policy blob in Washington, DC.

I continued to post on X (here, here, and here) about my Ukraine peace plan that included the DMZ idea.

I Figured JD Vance Might Support It

When Vance was chosen as Trump’s running mate. I was excited because I thought he would be open to my DMZ idea. I posted on X on July 16, “My Ukraine peace plan that I lay out in my new book – an armistice and Korea-like DMZ – has just become more possible with @JDVance1 on the ticket.”

I also wrote about my DMZ idea recently in the National Security Journal.

What Does My Peace Plan Entail?

My peace plan is simple. There would be an immediate cease-fire. Both sides would back up 10 to 20 miles from the current battle lines. That land would be de-militarized like the DMZ in Korea and administered by the United Nations. The armistice would require both sides to give up territory, creating a compromise. The Ukrainians would relinquish land in the Donbas. The Russians would have to cede territory in Kursk to the Ukrainians.

The DMZ and armistice in Korea have maintained peace on the peninsula since 1953. It can succeed again in Eastern Europe.

If Trump wins, he and Vance can begin working on the DMZ peace plan immediately. Both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky would balk at first. I admit that the DMZ idea would not be immediately popular. Putin would not want to give up land in Kursk. Zelensky would not want to cede land in the Donbas. Ukraine believes the Russians would use any ceasefire to strengthen their position at the front. Zelensky thinks his forces can win by completely ejecting the Russians from all Ukrainian territory.

U.S. Senator J. D. Vance spoke with attendees at the 2023 Turning Point Action Conference at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. Image Credit: Gage Skidmore.

Only the United States Can Make This Happen

However, the United States has leverage over Ukraine and Russia. If Trump wins, he could hold back any new military aid until Zelensky comes to the table with Russia. Trump could demand that he would support Ukraine’s admission to NATO unless the Russians agree to negotiate. The first step, a ceasefire, would thus be difficult. But once both sides cooled their emotions and began thinking through what was best for their respective countries, they would gradually warm to the DMZ idea.

The war in Ukraine has almost entered its third year, and I’m tired of the wanton slaughter. It has negatively impacted millions of people, leaving hundreds of thousands dead or wounded. There needs to be some peace plan, and aside from the DMZ idea that Vance/Trump, and I have proposed, I am not hearing any other ideas.

It is clear that this war needs to stop, and the way we get to a lasting peace is to create an armistice and a DMZ.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood