Drew Landry: Is President Trump's Ukraine strategy really 'peace with honor?'

“Peace with honor” was a phrase President Richard Nixon emphasized in an announcement to end the United States’ direct involvement with the war in Vietnam.

Throughout the 1968 presidential campaign, Nixon pledged to bring about an “honorable end” to our involvement in Southeast Asia and this turned out to be a campaign promise kept – albeit nearly five years late. A large portion of the Paris Peace Accords included the removal of U.S. military in the country and release of American and South Vietnamese prisoners of war held by the North. South Vietnam also released its Northern prisoners of war.

Did the exit of the U.S. military from southeast Asia end the war in Vietnam? It ended our direct participation, for sure, but there was no enforcement of the Peace Accord. Shortly after President Nixon began his second term, he was entangled in the Watergate scandal and that defined his presidency and legacy. Because of Watergate’s enormous grasp on American domestic politics at the time, Vietnam was no longer a front-page issue.

Despite it no longer serving as the top concern for voters, popularity for our involvement in Vietnam waned. By the time the Paris Peace Accords was signed in January of 1973, 60 percent of Americans felt sending our troops to Vietnam was a mistake. With Congress’ adoption of the Case-Church Amendment in June of 1973, which forbade sending money to Southeast Asia and to repair North Vietnam without Congressional approval and creating the War Powers Resolution to restrict unilateral presidential power concerning the military, not only was the legislative branch responding to the American public on Vietnam, it also responded to Americans’ approval of President Nixon. By the summer of 1973, his approval rating dropped to around 45%. Congress had no other option but to address two unpopular items on behalf of the people of the United States, our Vietnam involvement and President Richard Nixon.

By the time North Vietnam reinvaded South Vietnam, Nixon was no longer president and President Gerald Ford’s plea for more aid in Vietnam stalled in Congress. As we know, Saigon fell in April 1975 and Vietnam became a united, communist country. Diplomatic connections between Vietnam and the United States would be disconnected until 1995.

Was the goal of “peace with honor” achieved under Presidents Nixon and Ford respectively? With those events, I am unsure if it was.

Now we have current President Donald Trump parroting the same Nixonian line. That we will have “peace with honor” in Ukraine with Russia. What the disastrous White House meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – with members of Trump’s cabinet and vice-president onlooking – displayed was not the U.S. dedication to end the Russian-Ukraine War with a peaceful resolution satisfying Russian, Ukrainian, and American interests. It displayed, however, America’s alliance with Russia and the abandonment of our ally in Ukraine.

President Trump wants President Zelensky to accept the terms of peace set by Russian President Vladimir Putin along with a raw material’s deal from the United States. Zelensky – wisely – rejected Putin’s terms because there were no check of security put on Putin or relinquishing any of the invaded Ukrainian territories Russia took. Putin’s terms would have dismantled Ukraine and the only countries that would have enjoyed the “peace” would be Russia and the United States.

President Trump, however, believes if President Zelensky accepted the raw materials deal from the United States, which would essentially put Americans in Ukraine, it would serve as a security check on President Putin. Along with American interests, a “coalition of the willing” – currently consisting of the U.K. and France – is forming to possibly serve in a peacekeeping role in Ukraine.

While these steps are important to forge peace in Eastern Europe, what is more telling is President Trump’s continual support for Ukraine to concede its role as the invaded and accept whatever peace Putin’s Russia puts forward. Why is President Zelensky and Ukraine “gambling” – as the president put it in the embarrassing White House meeting – with world conflict? Why was a leader literally defending itself against a military invasion scolded like a teenager who missed curfew?

President Trump has great faith in his ability to make a deal. This president believes he can bring anyone to the negotiating table whenever he wants and this context broker peace. This president, however, overplays his hand with Russia.

Let me be crystal clear. Vladimir Putin is not to be trusted on any deal.

Former President Ronald Reagan used a phrase with negotiating with the Soviet Union during the 1980s. That phrase was “trust but verify.” This president believes he can simply trust Putin. Such naivete in an aggressive thug is more Neville Chamberlain than Winston Churchill.

Peace with honor is what we desire but what U.S. honor did Nixon keep by making promises to South Vietnamese leaders neither he nor Ford could not preserve? What American honor does Trump maintain in pushing Ukraine to accept Russia’s terms to end the aggression?

We – as Americans – want peace in Eastern Europe between Ukraine and Russia. But it cannot be solely on The Great Bear’s terms and conditions. If current U.S. leadership continues turning its back on European allies and siding with Russia – whether it pertains to simply opposing a United Nations resolution blaming Russia for starting the war in Ukraine or going as far as refusing to share intelligence or provide military aid to Ukraine – the world is heading to a pre-World War II status.

That is unacceptable. It is peace without honor. It certainly is not peace through strength.

Drew Landry is an assistant professor of government at South Plains College. His views do not necessarily represent those of SPC.