WP on possible truce with Russia: Bad deal imposed by Trump could be worst option

The next few weeks will determine whether Ukraine can continue to exist as a sovereign state, but a bad deal imposed by Donald Trump could be the worst option, since a settlement at the expense of Ukrainian territories would reward Putin and undermine trust in the United States, The Washington Post writes.
"Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, nearing the end of its third bloody year, has reached an inflection point. Ukraine is losing territory, troops and time. The next few weeks will determine whether Ukraine can continue to exist as a sovereign state within its preinvasion borders, or close to them, with full security guarantees for its citizens — or whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will be rewarded and emboldened in his war of territorial expansion," the publication reports on Tuesday.
"How this conflict is resolved will have ramifications far beyond Ukraine, belying the notion expressed by some... that this is Europe’s problem. At stake is the credibility of the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which immediately aided Ukraine after Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion and vowed to continue their support 'as long as it takes' to defeat Russia’s aggression," The Washington Post writes.
The partners' aid, which arrived late to Ukraine, allowed Putin to gain a foothold and build up his military power in alliance with the North Koreans and China. Now Ukraine is losing territory, people and, most importantly, time.
"Ukraine can hardly survive another year of this devastating war. But the haste to find a negotiated settlement could produce a bad one that would reward Mr. Putin for his land grab and guarantee he will launch a new attack for more territory once he has a chance to rebuild his depleted arsenal. A poor settlement would also leave Ukrainians bitter after seeing their homes, schools and factories destroyed, and friends and family members killed. Much of their anger would be directed at the Western backers who betrayed them. This is a fight America, and Ukraine, cannot lose, especially with a bad deal," the publication reports.