LOS ANGELES.–Saying 47-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is responsible for millions of deaths, 78-year-old President Donald Trump didn’t pull any punches, knowing that there’s nothing left to the U.S. relationship to Ukraine. While former President Joe Biden was ready to trash U.S.-Russian relations, Trump was not. Since taking office, Trump has made overtures to 72-year-old President Vladimir Putin to restore normal diplomatic relations. Trump originally thought it would be easier to end the Ukraine War but didn’t calculate that the biggest obstacle to peace was Zelensky, not Putin. Zelensky made it clear Feb. 28 when blew up in the Oval office at Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. Zelensky thinks Trump’s new relationship with Putin makes it impossible for him to get a fair peace deal. Zelensky couldn’t accept that Trump was resetting U.S.-Russian relations.
Zelensky realized that Trump was on a different path than 82-year-old former President Joe Biden who essentially gave Zelensky a blank check for his war with the Kremlin. But in so doing, Biden wrecked decades of diplomacy, détente and arms control with Russia, not to mention global cooperation on important issues for both countries. Biden tossed it all away to support what Biden called Ukraine’s fledgling democracy. But Ukraine was always part of the Russian Empire or Soviet Union, never a democracy. Zelensky knows how to throw the propaganda around, pretending he’s defending European democracy. He begged NATO for membership, only to be told he didn’t meet entrance requirements, one of which is being a functioning democracy. What kind of democracy exists in Ukraine with Zelensky declaring martial law and war with the Kremlin?
Trump has held Putin accountable for delaying entering into a ceasefire agreement, not realizing that Zelensky is the one that doesn’t want peace. “Let’s say Putin number one, but let’s say Biden, who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two, and Zelensky,” Trump said in a joint visit with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. Trump had plenty of blame to pass along but none gets more than Biden and Zelensky. Sure Putin defends his own interests in Ukraine but he knows today that the U.S. is no longer seeking to topple his government. Biden was committed with Zelensky to “degrading the Russian military,” those were Biden’s own words. But Trump wants only better relations with the Kremlin, returning to the pre-Biden era when Russia and the U.S. were cooperative partners. It’s taking time for Putin to process he’s no longer a war with the U.S.
Putin came to see the Ukraine War as encroachment by the U.S. and NATO on Russia’s national security. Now Putin sees clearly that Trump wants no part of Biden’s failed foreign policy, seeks a return to U.S. –Russian relations as cooperative partners. Trump said the Zelensky was always interested in more arms-and-cash to fight his war with the Kremlin. “He’s always looking to purchase missiles,” Trump said. “When you start a war, you got to know that you can win the war,” Trump said. “You don’t start as war against somebody that 20 times your size, and then hope that people give you some missiles,” Trump said, showing that Zelensky doesn’t think through what he’s doing. But with Zelensky losing so much sovereign territory over the last three years, he’s very worried about a coup in Kiev. He’s been gaslighting Ukrainians about the war for years.
Zelensky no longer considers the U.S. and ally to Ukraine and instead has put all his hopes into Germany, France and the EU to continue funding the proxy war with the Kremlin. But the EU once had good relations with Russia, getting about 25% of its oil and natural gas from Mocow. Zelensky has turned the EU against Trump with incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying today maybe Ukraine should blow up the bridge between Ukraine and Crimea. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Berlin wants to prolong the war, not end it. “Unfortunately, it’s true that European capitals are not inclined to look for ways to reach peace talks, but are rather inclined to further instigate the continuation of the war,” Peskov said in his daily briefing. Merz also hinted that unlike his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, he’s willing send Zelensky Taurus long-range missiles.
Trump fights an uphill battle to secure a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine. Zelensky wants no part of any deal where he’s be forced to admit he lost 25% of Ukraine’s best sovereign territory over three years of war. Zelensky fears a coup d’etat when the public realizes he lost the war and now must trade land-for-peace. Zelensky’s EU allies should be clear what they want in Ukraine. If they want to take over funding the proxy war with the Kremlin then there’s little Trump can do with Putin other than continue to develop stronger ties to the United States. “This must be jointly agreed. And if it’s agreed, the Germany should take part,” Merz said regarding sending long-range Taurus missiles to Kiev. Brussels doesn’t really know what it’s getting into doing business with Zelensky. Trump found out Zelensky never gets enough cash-and-weapons and will bleed the European Union.
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.
