LOS ANGELES.–Showing that the European Union is oblivious to U.S. politics, it acted dumfounded when Trump announced he would meet with Russian PresidentVladmir Putin to end the Ukraine War and everything that goes along with it. Why should the EU not understand Trump campaign promises to end the Ukraine War, but, more significantly, restore normal diplomatic relations with the Kremlin? EU officials, pushed by 47-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, acted insulted that they’re not included in any peace talks with 72-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin has viewed the Ukraine War as an existential crisis with the West that attempts topple the Russian Federation. Biden said March 26, 2022, shortly after Russia’s Ukraine invasion, that the purpose of the U.S. war in Ukraine was to neutralize Russia’s military capability to prevent future wars.
Biden’s words rang a loud bell in the Kremlin realizing that the U.S. intervention to arm Ukraine was more about neutralizing the Russian Federation than defending Ukraine. Putin concluded early on in the war that he was fighting the U.S. and EU that had thrown their support in the war to Ukraine. Ukraine’s special envoy Keith Kellogg Jr., 80, said that Kiev would be involved in any peace talks but the EU would not. Zelensky wanted to see the EU at the table because he wants to stop Trump from negotiating a deal that would prevent Ukraine from attaining NATO membership or receiving its lost sovereign territory. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in Brussels that it was doubtful that Ukraine could receive any NATO membership in an kind of Peace deal. Hegseth also said it was not realistic that Zelensky would receive all its territory back.
Zelensky flew to Abu Dhabi from the Munich Security Conference where he denounced 78-year-old President Donald Trump for no longer backing European security. Zelensky spoke in Munich like he was speaking for Brussels which, of course, he wasn’t. Zelensky thinks because Trump no longer backs the Ukraine War he doesn’t back European security. Zelensky has conflated European security with Ukrainian security, something he now speaks interchangeably about. Zelensky knows nothing of what Trump supports but knows that he no longer backs proxy war with the Kremlin, like Biden did. Zelensky thinks because Trump no longer supports Biden’s Kremlin policy, he no longer backs European security. Trump wanted NATO members to spend a minimum of 3% GDP for defense, something that’s not happening with many NATO members, spending less than 2% of GDP.
Zelensky wants the EU at the peace table because they know his position on Putin, that he’s a war criminal that needs prosecution in The Hague’s International Criminal Court [ICC] for war crimes in Ukraine. Zelensky can’t talk about Putin without controlling his rage over the three-year war. Trump said Zelensky could have opted for negotiation in 2022 but chose war with the Kremlin instead. Three years of war has left thousands of Ukrainian civilians and military dead, destroyed the country’s infrastructure and losing some 25% of Ukraine best sovereign territory on the Black Sea coast. “We can’t rule out the possibility that America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it,” Zelensky told Munich delegates. Zelensky wants the EU to think it’s in the same boat as Ukraine. But every EU official knows that they have NATO to defend their security from the Russian Federation.
Zelensky wants the EU to think since Ukraine is considered part of Europe, the war in Ukraine affects the EU directly. Some EU states like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania buy Zelensky’s claptrap that the Baltic States are threatened by Putin. Zelensky has zero facts to prove that Russia wants to take over more European states. He knows only that Putin invaded Ukraine, refusing to admit that Putin objected to the Kiev government accepting unlimited U.S. cash-and-weapons. Zelensky did everything possible in Munich to split the EU from the U.S. EU officials know that resolving the Ukraine War is a matter of the U.S. reconciling with the Kremlin, not just ending the War. So, when Rubio met with 75-year-old Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, talks revolved around restoring normal diplomatic relations not just ending the three-year-old Ukraine War.
Zelensky had revealed his true motives in Munich blaming Trump for abandoning Ukraine and the European Union. Trump hasn’t said he doesn’t support EU security he only said he wants to restored normal diplomatic relations with the Kremlin, after four years of Biden’s reckless policy. Almost from Day One, Biden started making disparaging comments on Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. After Trump’s call with Putin Feb. 12, he said negotiations must end this “ridiculous war.” Trump sees no benefit for Ukraine or Russia, wasting billions in unnecessary expenses and human lives. EU officials need to get that Trump seeks to reset normal U.S.-Russian relations, using the Ukraine War to get it done. Once Trump tells Putin that he doesn’t support the Ukraine War, Putin will have to reconsider the U.S. relationship with the Russian Federation, no longer mortal enemies.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.