LOS ANGELES.–Making peace next to impossible, 47-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has done everything possible to thwart 78-year-old President Donald Trump’s peace efforts. Zelensky let his true self known in the Oval Office Feb. 28 when he blew up at Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, all because Trump wants to normalize diplomatic ties with Russia. Zelensky no longer considers the U.S. an ally under Trump because he wants the war to end and negotiate a peace deal with Russia. Trump told Zelensky in the meeting he didn’t “have the cards” to make demands in any peace settlement. So, Zelensky sold Trump out at the Munich Security Conference telling European leader he no longer cared about European security. Zelensky refuses to admit to the Ukrainian people that he lost the war with the Kremlin over three years of war backed by the U.S. and NATO.
Zelensky invaded the Russian Kursk border region Aug. 8, 2024, surprising Russian forces in a surprise move that was supposed to divert Putin away from the 1,000 km front line, giving Ukraine a better chance to stop Russian’s advance on Ukrainian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his generals didn’t fall for Zelensky’s ploy, instead waited patiently, calling in reinforcements to retake the lost territory. Since months later, Zelensky has all but pulled out of the Kursk region, in what amounts to a failed publicity stunt. Using his troops to invade Ukraine was supposed to show the U.S. and NATO that Zelensky was winning the war. In fact, Zelensky has consistently lost more sovereign territory leaving him losing more ground along the 600 mile battlefront. Today, all Zelensky can talk about is how he prevented Putin from overthrowing his Kiev government.
Trump has done everything possible to convince Zelensky to end the war based on cutting his losses and beginning the long, costly process of rebuilding Ukraine’s infrastructure. But instead working with Trump to end the conflict, Zelensky has worked behind Trump’s back to continue the war with European Union backing. EU officials have loads of sympathy for Zelensky’s war with the Kremlin but they’ve made no commitments to takeover funding the conflict now that Trump has changed U.S. policy. Under former President Joe Biden, Zelensky was given a blank check to wage war with the Kremlin with the U.S. spending nearly $300 billion. Zelensky was supposed to sign a rare earth mineral deal with Trump to help repay some of U.S. expenses for the war, but, more importantly, to partner in a long-term business venture to add to Ukraine post-war security.
Zelensky justified the Kursk invasion saying it was a bold military move to gain more leverage in any eventual peace negotiation. Now that Ukrainian troop are surrounded by Russian forces, he decided to pull out his troops from the Kursk region. “It is absolutely fair to move the war to where it came from,” Zelensky said in one of his daily video addresses. Zelensky doesn’t want to admit to the Ukrainian people that he’s lost the war, including his Aug . 8 invasion into Russian territory. Zelensky refuses to submit to a peace process because it would admit to the Ukraine people he lost the war. Everyday since the war began, including recently, Zelensky has said all he needs is more cash-and-weapons but clearly that hasn’t changed the battlefield as he continues to watch Ukraine lose more sovereign territory. At some point Zelensky won’t be able to dupe the Ukrainian people.
Zelensky admitted he only controls a few kilometers in the Kursk region, with most military analysts seeing his invasion as a bust. It accomplished nothing other than a temporary PR stunt designed to impress the U.S. and NATO. Well, Trump isn’t impressed at all with what Zelensky has done with $300 billion in U.S. tax dollars. Trump can’t blame Russian President Vladimir Putin entirely for not jumping on the first ceasefire proposals when he sees Zelensky cajoling the EU to fund proxy war with the Kremlin. Putin appreciates Trump’s peace overtures to return to normal diplomatic relations. But when it comes to signing on to a ceasefire deal, Zelensky and the EU must be on the same page, no matter how hard Trump pushes for peace. Trump doesn’t look like he’s getting Zelensky to go along with a ceasefire and peace deal because he won’t admit he lost the war.
Trump has a lot on his plate dealing with his tariff and trade wars with foreign countries doing business in the United States. Whether foreign competitors capitulate with Trump’s tariffs, lowering their own tariffs with U.S. goods, no one knows yet. But Wall Street has certainly taken the opportunity to recalibrate markets, letting the correction accelerate close to 20%. When it comes to ending the Ukraine War, Trump will continue to push Putin to go along with a ceasefire plan but there’s only so much he can do without Zelensky’s cooperation. Zelensky fears he’ll be ousted from office maybe killed by an angry mob after realizing the over three year war with Russia has largely destroyed the country. Trump gave Zelensky every opportunity to cut his losses and start the long, difficult task of rebuilding. So far, Zelensky is only concerned with his own survival.
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.
