LOS ANGELES.–Meeting for the first time since 2022 in Istanbul, a Russian and Ukrainian peace delegation got down to some brass tacks in the one-hour-forty-minute session. While 47-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ranting about 72-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin not showing up, Putin’s delegation led by Vladimir Medinsky said that all Ukrainian troops must vacate once Ukrainian territory of Kherson, Zaporizhizia, Donetsk and Luhansk before Putin would consider a 30-day ceasefire. Agreeing to trade 1,000 Ukrainian and 1,000 Russia troops, the meeting wasn’t in vain but showed the kind a gulf that divides the two sides. Zelensky and his EU backers led by French President Emmanuel Macron want Putin to pull out of all Russian territory, something that won’t happen anytime soon. Zelesnky wants the EU to slap Putin with more economic sanctions.
Zelensky demanded that Putin be present at talks in Istanbul, despite the fact that no preliminary meetings have discussed parameters for a ceasefire. “Pressure must be exerted on Russia to stop the killings. Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy,” Zelensky insisted. Zelensky knows that no amount of coercion from the EU would change Putin’s positions on ending the over three year war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and thanked him for the U.S. mediator role, though the U.S. was not included in the Istanbul talks. “[Lavrov] confirmed Moscow’s readiness to continue join work with American colleagues in this context,” Lavrov wrote in a statement. With Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff meeting with Putin four times, the U.S. knows exactly what must be done for a ceasefire.
Zelensky continues to whine to the EU, essentially pitting Brussels against all of Trump’s work to end the destructive and costly war. Ukraine should be surprised at all that Putin would require Ukraine to remove its troops from conquered territory, something Zelensky has been unwilling to do. Zelensky thinks that if he’s only given more cash by the U.S. or EU he could retake the territory lost over the last three years. Trump sees the destruction to Ukraine and doesn’t believe that Zelensky can prevail in any protracted conflict with the Kremlin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any details of confidential talks should not be leaked to the press. Peskov sees progress but said any discussions should be behind closed doors, not something for debate in the media. Leaking Putin’s demands only infuriates the EU because they think Ukraine is getting a bad deal.
Peskov confirmed that Putin could meet in the future with Zelensky but only if the details of a ceasefire agreement were worked out in advance. Zelensky has put Trump in an awkward position, disparaging his past peace talks with Putin. Seeing Trump as catering to Putin, Zelensky doesn’t think he’s getting a fair deal, knowing that he lost some 25% of Ukraine best sovereign territory in over three years of war. Zelensky opted for war with the Kremlin Feb. 24, 2022, dragging former President Joe Biden into the conflict. Biden caused the conflict supplying Ukraine unlimited lethal weapons against Kremlin objections. Zelensky and Biden kept provoking Putin by talking about Ukraine’s possible NATO membership. Biden and Zelensky knew that NATO membership was a red line for Putin, knowing that Ukraine was once part of the Soviet Union.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insist that Putin isn’t serious about peace, requiring the EU to hit Moscow with more severe economic sanctions. Economic sanctions haven’t worked in the past, why would Macron and Starmer believe that they would work now? “Once again Russia is not serious,” British Defense Secretary David Lammy said on a visit to Pakistan. “Yet again we are seeing obfuscation on the Russian side and unwillingness to get serious about the enduring peace that is now required in Ukraine,” Lammy said. But what enduring peace is Lammy talking about? One in which Putin must capitulate to Zelensky’s demands, no matter how unrealistic? Lammy isn’t giving Putin enough credit for putting his cards on the table in Istanbul, telling the Ukrainian delegation what’s needed for a 30-day ceasefire.
Putin has been treated very badly by the EU, thinking their get tough policy is going to help Zelensky win concessions at the peace table. “Today, what do we have? Nothing. And so I tell you, faced with President Putin’s cynicism, I am sure that President Trump, mindful of the credibility of the United States, will react,” said Macron. But why would Trump go along with the EU that has mucked up the peace process to the point that it’s unachievable? Trump should resist EU calls for more sanctions, realizing that Putin has already showed good faith sending a delegation to Istanbul and agreeing to a prisoner swap. Putin asks for nothing unusual expecting his peace delegation to work out the details of a cease fire deal before he meets face-to-face with Zelensky. Expecting Putin to go to direct talks with Zelensky without details worked out would only make an bad situation worse.
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.
