LOS ANGELES.–Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky says that any European peace forces retained to defend Ukraine after the war must be combat ready and prepared to fight the Russian Federation. Zelensky makes the case why 72-year-old President Vladimir Putin would never accept European troops on Ukrainian soil in any post-war peace scenario. “We don’t need a mere presence to showcase that Europe is present,” said Ukraine’s chief negotiator Igor Zhovka said before an international summit in Paris. Zelensky has made security guarantees a big part of ending his war with the Kremlin, something he now expects the EU to handle. President Donald Trump, 78, in negotiating a peace deal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, said the U.S. would offer Ukraine no post-war guarantees. Trump won’t commit the U.S. to starting up another war with the Russian Federation.
Ukraine takes no responsibility for the war with the Kremlin, provoking Putin by demanding NATO membership. Now Zelensky says that any peacekeeping troops in Ukraine must be fully prepared to fight a war with Russia. “It’s not the amount which matters . . . it’s also their readiness to fight, their readiness to defend, their readiness to be equipped, and their readiness to understand that Ukraine is an inevitable part of European security,” said Zhovoka, Ukraine’s top negotiator. Unpacking Zhovoka statements says that Europe must be prepared to join the fight against the Kremlin. Why should any EU country sign up to fight Russia when it’s not their fight? Zhovoka makes the outrageous statement that Brussels must accept that Ukraine must be treated as an equal part of the European Union, when it’s not. Zelensky imposes outrageous demands on the U.S. and EU.
When is Zelensky going to talk about getting along with their bigger, stronger and militarily superior neighbor? Zelensky surely can’t count indefinitely on the U.S. or EU to bailout Ukraine for any future skirmishes with Russia. U.S. or EU peacemakers can’t be mislead by Ukraine into getting into a war with Russia. Zelensky says the Ukraine is an integral part of European security, so why does Zelensky want a battle ready EU army or to join NATO? Ukraine has never been part of Europe, always a part of the Russian Empire or, more recently, the Soviet Union. Why would Ukraine be an “inevitable part of European security?” If Ukraine enters into a ceasefire or peace deal with Russia, it’s not the U.S. or EU’s responsibility to keep Ukraine out of another war. Zelensky must learn to live with Russia on its border, not come running to the U.S. or EU for security.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been advocating a “coalition of the willing” in the EU to take part in a new Ukrainian security force. Putin would not accept in any ceasefire or peace deal European troops inside Ukraine. So, when you think of Starmer’s proposal, it’s a blatant attempt to sabotage Trump ‘s attempts at a peace deal. EU officials act like it’s not in Brussels’ best interest to stop the war in Ukraine. How can Starmer fashion a post-war peace plan when there’s no peace deal in place? Trump must be given time to fashion a deal then inform EU allies what would work in any post-war security arrangement. Surely, Starmer doesn’t want to sabotage Trump’s peace efforts when there’s no deal yet in place. Instead of advisng the U.S. and EU, Zelensky should tell Brussels that he’s leaving it up to Trump to figure out what post-war arrangement works.
Whatever happens now on the battlefield the EU and Ukraine must know that a ceasefire and peace agreement has been completed. So, if the EU and Ukraine wants a quick resolution to the conflict, including a cessation in fighting, then they should let Trump’s team finish the job. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte wasn’t helpful at all to the cause of peace warning Putin with a “devastating” response if he attacks Poland. Rutte illustrates exactly what wrong with Zelensky and the EU, they throw around unfounded accusations without any facts to support it. When did Putin threaten Poland or any other European state? Yet Rutte thinks it helps the peace process to threaten the Russian Federation? Trump must have a heart-to-heart talk with Rutte to let him know how he’s undermining the peace process. Trump has done everything possible to mend fences with the Kremlin.
Trump faces an uphill battle trying to convince the EU to go along with his peace plans. Eventually, the EU will have to go along because they won’t assume the role of funding proxy war with the Kremlin. French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen needs to stop demonizing Putin and let Trump mend fences with the Kremlin. Once Trump gets his peace deal, the EU needs to stop complaining of how much sovereign land Zelensky lost in the deal. Zelensky lost sovereign land because he opted for war with the Kremlin rather than taking Putin up on his peace offer. Putin offered to keep Crimea as Russian territory and maintain independence of Donetsk and Luhansk. That looks like a great deal now that Zelensky wasted three years fighting the Kremlin, destroying Ukraine and losing its best sovereign territory.
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.
