CHINA says it backs the new US-Russia consensus on ending the Ukraine war, supporting a lasting and sustainable Mar-shall Plan with Pakistan’s help.
The peace initiative would help feed the world by upholding international law, eliminating corruption and controlling illegal immigration.
As a non-war president, Trump maintains that Ukraine will be a central issue in peace talks.
Zelensky and Europe need to support Trump’s realistic peace efforts to end this ongoing war.
Trump is open to deploying troops in Ukraine, with Starmer set to meet him for discussions.
Given the routine visit of Pakistan’s army chief to the UK, Pakistan’s military could lead the international Ukraine Marshall Plan, supported by its civil and military workforce.
This team brings expertise from the US-NATO Afghan withdrawal, UN peacekeeping, refugee pro-grams and NADRA services, including elections, infrastructure development and a commitment to transparency and zero tolerance for corruption.
As a Budapest Memorandum signatory, Trump is honoring America’s guarantee to Russia by seeking to end the Ukraine war without NATO membership or US troops in Ukraine, alongside international Minsk Agreements. He argues Ukraine and Europe missed three years to resolve the conflict and believes the war would never have started under his presidency. Trump criticizes failed negotiations, saying a settlement could have been reached earlier. The war stems from false NATO promises to Ukraine and territorial demands from Russia. Trump calls for concessions from all sides, noting Russia’s advantage due to its territorial control. Geostrategically, Trump is working to reintegrate Russia into global trade as part of his Asia-Pacific policy. This would benefit American businesses in Russia, reduce international oil and grocery prices by lifting the ban on Russian oil and re-place Russian energy exports to India with American oil and gas. Trump’s “Oil Weapon” has reportedly ‘convinced’ Putin to end the Ukraine war or face sanctions, including restrictions on ghost ships. This approach puts Vance’s Munich Security speech into context, in which he criticized European leaders for abandoning their voters. By scrapping NATO, Trump is compelling Europe to pay for its defense.
History shows that corruption is the root cause of the Ukraine-Russia war. As an energy transit hub between Europe and Russia, Zelensky’s attempt to increase transit levies backfired, escalating the conflict. Zelensky had pledged to eliminate corruption and end the war during his election campaign. Following Trump’s ‘dictator’ remarks, Zelensky has unofficially begun his election campaign, aiming to hold elections by the year’s end. A fair deal is necessary to prevent nationalists from winning the election. The Ukrainian parliament’s term expired in March 2024. Corruption remains a significant challenge in Ukraine. Zelensky could strike a fair deal with the US on mineral rights after the election, provided he orders an international audit of the $106 billion US and $145 billion EU aid to Ukraine. Trump could facilitate a deal as part of a ceasefire agreement, though it may not hold post-election. According to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), while Ukraine aid is crucial, so is oversight of the funding. The overwhelming majority of Ukrainians and 60% of Americans cite corruption as their top concern.
Geopolitical corruption exacerbates immigration challenges, undermining democracy by failing to resolve international conflicts, including wars, corruption (AML) and trade. The West opposes Russia but continues to benefit from Russian oil and golden visas for oligarchs, despite opposition to Moscow. As reported by Politico, 99% of $4.5 trillion in criminal proceeds remain unaccounted for in the EU. In The Guardian’s “What $2 trillion in corrupt activity reveals about Kleptopia,” the Fin-CEN files expose more than 2,000 suspicious activity reports filed by banks to the US Treasury. To curb economic migration, Trump must eliminate global tax havens. Like MAGA, this will promote investments in immigrant countries, spurring reindustrialization, job creation and improved public services. Under the Bank Secrecy Act, global financial institutions can prevent money laundering by revealing details of overseas account holders with assets exceeding half a million US dollars. This includes private property registers in top destinations like the US, UK, EU, China and the Middle East, as well as tax returns of dual nationals and their financial trails.
Xi has zero tolerance for corruption. China’s anti-corruption policies have driven the country to achieve revolutions in renewable energy, robotics, electric vehicles (EVs) and AI over the past 30 years. Trump must lead the West in combating corruption to secure its place on the global stage by ending Citizens United and making democracies more accountable to voters rather than donors. As Senator Sanders warned, America faces a dangerous movement toward oligarchy, authoritarianism and kleptocracy. This is a critical challenge that must be addressed to improve economies, reindustrialize and create jobs that will help end illegal immigration.
—The writer is senior political analyst based in Islamabad.
(sadcat44@hotmail.com)
