A peace proposal to avert war between the US and Russia

I’m worried. We are worried. I can hear the drumbeats again, the ones that were heard back in the 1930's. Somehow The Cold War was always more likely to become an accidental end of the world than part of a coldly executed and deliberate plan. . This new rachetting up of rhetoric feels more likely to end in a deliberate throw of the dice — the lunatics on both sides who say ‘Yes we can win the hot war with our nukes’ or to quote a recent pronunciation, ‘ we can vapourise the United States’, which seems to omit to mention that the United States can probably return the compliment, taking us all with them.

But what can anybody do about it? Here is a plan. It tries to take a neutral, God’s eye view of it. The underlying principle is for each side to ask how can we help the other, instead of how can we harm the other. And how can we rebuild trust and eliminate the hatred of each other that has grown up since 2000?

1. NATO to demonstrate that it has no aggressive intention over Russian territory by withdrawing any weapons and bases that could be construed as potential to attack Russia. In return, Russia to drop territorial claims over the Baltic countries and Poland, drop the right to protect Russian minorities beyond its borders, drop aggressive propaganda ( eg references to the criminal government of Estonia ) and other neighbours with Russian minorites and to stop exercises which blatantly practise attacks on neighbours. NATO also to stop all exercises in Russian border vicinities. Both sides to stop testing each others defences with probing flights. ( Submarines ignored for now )
2. NATO to guarantee that it will not accept Ukraine as a member. In return, Russia to agree to stop all military support for rebel forces in Ukraine and to hold internationally supervised elections in all disputed regions of the country.
3. USA, Russia and Germany to collaborate on a plan to rebuild the devastated Eastern Ukraine. Each to contribute on a proportional basis tied to GDP per capita. The same countries to collaborate on a pipeline project to convey Russian gas to Europe and Ukraine and ways to upgrade Russia’s energy infrastructure. If all have skin in the game, all will want to preserve peace.
4. The USA and Russia to collaborate over missile and nuclear defence technology and gradually move to a missile defence model rather than deterrence model based on an invulnerable second strike capability. ( which is immoral and permanently liable to accidental launch )
5. Ukraine to guarantee Russian language and other cultural rights and to subject itself to international supervision of elections. Both US, European and Russian outside bodies forbidden from funding or participating in Ukrainian elections.
6. Given all of the above, USA and Europe to lift all sanctions and discuss economic development and co-operation.

Russia feels humiliated. America feels threatened. Both have broken promises made in the past. But trade and peace will be better for everyone, so something like the above has got to be worth a try. We choose peace.