LOS ANGELES.–Complaing that the U.S. Embassy in Kiev didn’t have much of a reaction to recent Russian attacks around Ukraine, 47-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed disappointment with the U.S. response. “Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. Embassy is surprisingly disappointing—such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction,” Zelensky said in his nightly video chat. “They are afraid even say the word “Russian” when talking about the attack that killed 19 civilians, many children. Zelensky’s frustrations with 78-year-old President Donald Trump are barely civil at this point, boiling over in a Feb. 28 Oval Office shouting match with 40-year-old Vice President J.D. Vance. Zelensky acts like it’s the U.S. war with the Kremlin, a leftover from former President Joe Biden’s foreign policy, something reversed by Trump.
Biden gave Zelensky a black check to fight the Kremlin, but, more importantly, turned Russia into a U.S. enemy. Zelensky was OK with Biden’s policy because he knew Biden had nothing but contempt for the Kremlin. Well, since Trump came into office, things changed dramatically, with Trump attempting to reset U.S.-Russian relations, something that infuriated Zelensky. But with Russian and Ukrainian attacks ongoing, what’s the U.S. embassy in Kiev supposed to do when Ukraine gets hit with another Russian attack? Are U.S. forces, to Zelensky’s way of thinking, supposed to join Ukraine in attacking Russia. What does Zelensky want the U.S. embassy to do when Zelensky refuses to go along with any of Trump’s peace efforts, trying to broker a ceasefire and peace talks. Zelensky wants no part of any peace talks because he wants to continue the war.
U.S. Ukraine Amb. Bridget Brink said she was “horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih. More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end.” But in Zelensky’s view any Russian attack on Ukrainian targets should prompt a U.S. response of giving Ukraine more cash-and-arms to continue the war. Zelensky pays lip service to ending the war but has his own preconditions, making peace with Russia next-to-impossible. “But to end it, we must not be afraid to call things by their names. We must not b e afraid to pressure the one who continues this war and ignores all the world’s proposals to end it,” Zelensky said. Zelensky has rejected since the war began Feb. 24, 2022 all the peace plans suggested by many different countries, including China, India, Brazil and South Africa.
Zelensky slams the U.S. embassy for not speaking out vociferously to defend Ukraine, when denouncing the Russian Federation only prolongs the conflict. Zelensky is the one that likes to blame the war on Russia, capitalizing on the EU and U.K. opinion that any post-war scenario must include definite security guarantees, including stationing European troops inside Ukraine. Rejecting Trump peace talks with Putin, Zelensky thinks they all favor 72-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin wants to end the conflict, just not on Zelensky’s terms. Zelensky wants Putin to give back all the sovereign territory lost during over three years of war. Zelensky wants to continue the Biden policy of proxy war against the Kremlin. He has all the backing he wants from the European Union, except that Brussels refuses to fund the proxy war the same ways as Biden did.
Zelensky demands that Trump apply new sanctions toward the Kremlin over continuing the war in Ukraine. “We must pressure Russia—the one choosing to kill children instead of choosing a ceasefire. There must be additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on their neighboring nation,” Zelensky said. “We must do everything in our capacity to save lives,” refusing to let Trump work on a ceasefire and peace deal with Putin. Zelensky has done everything possible to run interference through peace talks, essentially pitting the EU against the U.S. despite complaining about ongoing attacks. If Zelensky really wanted attacks to stop in Ukraine, he would notify Trump that he’s allowing him to negotiate a ceasefire and peace talks to end the war. But, no, Zelensky says he want the EU to have a seat at the peace table to defend Ukraine’s interests.
Zelensky real aim is to cajole the EU into taking over funding the war with the Kremlin, claiming the terms for peace are unacceptable. Despite losing some 25% of Ukraine best sovereign territory over the last three years, Zelensky wants all his land back, but, more importantly, wants Russian troops out of Ukraine including Crimea. So, the terms to any peace deal Trump would negotiate with Russia would look favorable to the Kremlin. Trump wants Zelensky to cut his losses, knowing that every day that goes buy Ukraine loses more sovereign territory to the Kremlin. If Zelensky could get the U.S. and EU to start WW III with the Kremlin he would welcome it even if it meant nuclear war on the European Continent. Zelensky thinks Ukraine is already in WW III, why not draw in the U.S. and EU. Trump has a real problem getting Zelensky to accept a realistic peace deal.
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.
