LOS ANGELES.–Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 53, said if there’s not some movement on a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine soon, the White House could walk away from the talks. “If it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, we need to move on,” Rubio told reporters before leaving Paris where he attended high-level talks about Ukraine and the war. President Donald Trump, 78, promised during the 2024 campaign a quick end to the war, finding it more difficult than he once imagined. Trump never thought that Zelensky and the EU would run so much resistance to his peace efforts with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump found out the hard way Feb. 28 in the Oval Office that Zelensky overreacted emotionally, eclipsing his judgment, leaving peace efforts in limbo. Zelensky ran to the European Union claiming Trump had sold Ukraine down the river with Putin.
Trump’s Ukraine war peace envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin for five hours last week getting down to brass tacks of what it would take to bring about a ceasefire and peace agreement. Zelensky doesn’t accept that Trump seeks normal diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation, something that existed for decades before 82-year-old former President Joe Biden. Biden joined Ukraine’s war with the Kremlin Feb. 24, 2022, effectively ending generations of diplomacy, détente and arms control. But beyond that, Russia and the U.S. cooperated on important global issues affecting world commerce and peace. Zelensky was outraged that Trump would dare to improve ties with his arch-enemy, instead of realizing the U.S. has its own foreign policy and national security to conduct. Zelensky’s world revolves around his war with the Kremlin, something costing Ukraine dearly.
When it comes to U.S. efforts for a ceasefire, Trump realized that timing in every kind of negotiation that it’s just not there yet in Ukraine. Putin wants guarantees for his captured territory over the last three years of war. Zelensky wants all his lost sovereign territory back from Russia, telling the EU that the war is all Russia’s fault. Trump said that Zelensky made a bad decision going to war with a superior military, making up fake news about an imminent collapse of the Russian army. Zelensky and Biden believed their own deluded propaganda that said Putin was dying of a terminal illness. Only recently Zelensky repeated the same lie for public consumption, talking about Putin’s stealth illness. With Zelensky still in propaganda mode, it’s difficult for the White House to make any progress on any ceasefire agreement or peace talks.
Kremlin Spokeman Dmitry Peskov, not known for his optimism, said the Kremlin was open to peace talks but needed more time. “A number of difficult negotiations still lie ahead,” Peskov said, reported by Tass. “Russia is striving to resolve this conflict, to protect its own interests, and is ready for dialogue,” Peskov said, letting U.S. officials know that they appreciate Trump’s efforts at creating the right conditions for peace. Coming off talks in Paris, Rubio tried to give the White House position on peace talks. “We need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable,” Rubio said. Vice President J.D. Vance also chimed in on what needs to happen in Ukraine. “Since there are the negotiations, I would not prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war, to a close,” said Vance.
Despite slow progress, Ukraine has moved ahead to sign a rare earth mineral deal with the U.S., something Zelensky was supposed to sign at the Oval Office Feb. 28. Moving ahead with the rare earth deal shows that Zelensky wants a long-term commitment from the U.S. in eventually rebuilding Ukraine. Early versions of the deal met objections in the EU, something that could hinder Ukraine’s eventual entrance in the EU, not likely to happen anytime soon. Zelensky wants a long-term business deal with the U.S. hoping it sends a loud message to Moscow to back off any plans to take more Ukrainian territory. Zelensky’s best guarantee of future security comes to ending the Ukraine War with a long-term peace deal, trading sovereign territory for peace. Zelensky fears that he’ll be ousted as president once the people know he lost his war with the Kremlin.
Acquiescing on the rare earth mineral deal is the first concrete sign that Zelensky may be willing to trade land for peace, giving Putin the territory for the time being won during three years of war. If Ukraine’s chief negotiator Denys Shmyhal travels to Washington next week to sign the rare earth mineral deal with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, it signals Zelensky’s acquiescence to an eventual land-for-peace deal. Zelensky thought the European Union would pick up where the U.S. left off, funding proxy war with the Kremlin. Brussels wants reassurance from Putin that he has no plans for capturing more territory in Europe once the Ukraine War ends. Putin has never said or hinted he seeks more territory in Europe. Biden and Zelensky used the excuse to justify the war, prompting the EU to use the same excuse to continue funding Zelensky’s war with the Kremlin.
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.
