LOS ANGELES.–Calling Ukraine’s 47-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the world’s greatest salesman, 78-year-old President Donald Trump wasn’t too concerned about 72-year-old President Vladimir Putin not showing up in Istanbul for direct talks with Zelensky. Trump didn’t take Zelensky’s bait saying that EU and U.S. should slap Putin for not showing up in Istanbul when the scheduling was largely done through Zelensky and the media, saying Putin should go to Zelensky’s preferred appointment time. Trump called Zelensky a good salesman because he’s walked away over the last three years with over $350 billion from the U.S. “I actually said: why would he go if I’m not going?” Trump said in Doha, Qatar when asked if he was disappointed Putin did not attend the Istanbul talks. “I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there,” Trump said, not too concerned that Putin didn’t show up.
Zelensky presented Putin’s showing up or not as proof of his sincerity about ending the Ukraine War. Putin has other obligations as head of the Russian state other than meeting Zelensky’s artificial deadlines. Trump sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff to attend the Istanbul talks. Showing that Putin didn’t snub the talks altogether, he sent a delegation to meet with the Ukrainian counterparts in Istanbul. Why Zelensky continues to complain publicly about Putin not showing up is anyone’s guess? Coercing Putin is the worst possible condition on which to start any ceasefire or peace talks. Trump doesn’t look inclined at all to join any EU effort to hit Putin with more sanctions. He knows that Putin did send a delegation to Istanbul to meet with Ukrainian officials to get a sense of where ceasefire and peace talks stand.
Sending Rubio and Witkoff to Istanbul to meet with the Ukrainian and Russian ceasfire and peace delegations Trump showed he backs the process 100%. Trump said he would have changed his Mideast itinerary if Putin had gone to Instanbul, something that didn’t happen, nor did Trump expect it to. If you listen to fake news, Trump was offended that Putin didn’t show up in Istanbul. But Trump knows scheduling anything with a head-of-state is a big deal, with impromptu plans not working out. Yet Zelensky said in the press that if Putin doesn’t show up in Istanbul, it means he’s not serious about peace talks, encouraging the EU and U.S. to slap him with more harsh economic sanctions. But Putin most certainly met any obligation to take ceasefire and peace talks seriously, sending a delegation to Istanbul to begin the difficult process of figuring out Zelensky’s demands.
Putin suggested that direct ceasefire and peace talks start in Istanbul, sending a Russian delegation to meet with Ukrainian officials to hash out preliminary demands for any settlement. So, how can Zelensky say that if Putin doesn’t show up for direct talks with him, he’s not serious about ending the war? It’s a clear breach of diplomatic protocol for a head of state to engage with another head-of-state summitry without extensive preparation from prior discussions. Zelensky called Putin out as if he did something wrong, breached protocol, something that didn’t happen. Putin had every right to send a delegation to begin the hard work of figuring out what would satisfy the other party. Sending Vladimir Medinsky and other Kremlin officials to Istanbul showed that Putin was dead serious about ceasefire and peace talks. Zelensky says Putin doesn’t take the talks seriously.
Trump said he wants the Ukraine War to stop to benefit both countries that have lost countless Ukrainian and Russian lives. “We spent $350 billion there—just handed. Nobody even knows where the money is. There no accounting. There no one. It’s just giving him money,” Trump said referring to Zelensky. “I have to hand it to him, I think he’s the greatest salesman, maybe in history. Every time he can to the United States, he’d walk away with $100 billion. That’s a good salesman, right?” Trump said. “Last time he didn’t do as well. He only go $60 billion,” Trump said, making the point that the U.S. has nothing to show for all the cash thrown at Zelensky. Trump has served notice to Zelensky that the U.S. no longer funds proxy war against the Kremlin, leaving Zelensky scrambling to the EU. EU officials made clear they won’t fund proxy war with the Kremlin.
Trump must work with EU allies to reign in Zelensky before he destroys any prosects for peace in Ukraine. Clearly Putin wants peace or he wouldn’t have sent a delegation to Istanbul to meet with Ukrainian officials. Zelensky can’t go around publicly denouncing Putin and urging the EU and U.S. to slap the Kremlin with more sanctions. Whatever the concerns about Putin, the EU must back off interfering in peace talks in Ukraine by pandering to Zelensky’s demands. Zelensky, who has limited foreign policy experience, should be told that negotiating with another head-of-state can’t be done by making insulting public remarks about chasing Putin down on the world stage. When the time is right and all the details of a settlement have been worked out, Putin will meet his obligation to negotiate in good faith. But as long as Zelensky keeps insulting Putin, he’s shooting himself in the foot.
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.
