LOS ANGELES.–Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 47, pleaded with the U.S. and European Union to strengthen its air defenses after 72-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin began retalitating for Zelensky’s June 1 assault on Russia’s strategic bomber fleet. Zelensky finds himself escalating the war now desperately calling on the U.S. and EU for more cash-and-arms to defend his war-torn nation. Zelensky rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt at a realistic peace plan with the Russian Federation, instead using the European Union to oppose Trump’s peace efforts. Zelensky concluded that Trump can’t possibly be an ally of Ukraine because he seeks to restore normal diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation. Zelensky had no problem with U.S. Ukraine War policy as long as he got a blank check from the White House. Well, since President Donald Trump took over, things changed.
Zelensky’s desperation now pushes the U.S. and EU into giving more funds and weapons stems from the fact that wants nothing to do with any peace plan, other than his own. Zelensky’s idea of peace is that Russia withdraw all its troops from Ukraine and pay the Kiev government war reparations. Since that’s not happening, Zelensky pushes for anything he can get, pleading with the U.S. and EU to slap Putin with more economic sanctions. “We are working to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense,” Zelensky said. “We urgently need positive signals for them—this is absolutely essential for our whole Europe. Only time separates us from that result, and what matters most is shortening that time,” Zelensky said, pleading for more arms. Members of EU, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Friedrich Merz and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, back Zelensky.
Zelensky talks like he’s defending the EU, saying that arming Ukraine is essential for defending all of Europe. Zelensky frequently does that when he wants more cash-and-arms, talking about how he’s defending Europe. He can’t defend his own country but somehow wants to be viewed as part of Europe. When has Ukraine in its history been part of Europe? It was always part of the Russian Empire or Soviet Union but never part of Europe. So, EU leaders must understand Zelensky’s strategy of sucking in the EU to fight his war with the Kremlin. Trump pulled the U.S. out of former President Joe Biden’s proxy war with the Kremlin, telling Zelensky that he can’t count on more U.S. cash-and-arms. Zelensky finds himself in a desperate position because he rejected Trump peace efforts with Putin and instead when to the European Union to get a better deal.
What’s at stake with ending the Ukraine War is ceding territory to the Russian Federation after over three years of war. Putin has taken some 20-25% of Ukraine’s best sovereign territory, including areas of Kherson, Zaporizhizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk and, of course, the Crimean Peninsula. Zelensky wants in any ceasefire or peace deal all his sovereign territory returned to the Kiev government. Putin put his cards on the table in a so-called memorandum saying what it would take to end the conflict. Zelensky called it blackmail, not taking it seriously and blaming Putin for not taking peace talks seriously. But Putin has delivered exactly what he promised, sending a delegation to Istanbul last week to inform Ukraine what would need to happen to end the over three-year conflict. Zelensky ran to the EU telling them that Putin was stalling on taking peace talks seriously.
Zelensky is the one that hasn’t taken peace talks seriously because he opposes every peace plan over the last three years that urges Zelensky to trade land-for-peace. Zelensky convinced the EU to fight Trump’s peace plan because it required Zelensky to trade land-for-peace. “I would like to thank the European countries for the supplies,” Zelensky said. We must also achieve results in the joint production of air defense systems and missiles for them—this is a absolutely essential for our whole Europe. Only time separates us from that result, and what matters most is shortening that time,” Zelensky said, gaslighting the EU into believing he’s defending the European Union. Zelensky told the Munich Security Conference that Trump could care less about European security or he would continue to fund Ukraine the same way Biden did over the last three years.
Zelensky finds himself in quicksand battling the Russian Federation, largely because his military and personnel are not equipped to go up against the Kremlin. Talking about “we” when it comes to the European Union, Zelensky wants to be fully embraced by the EU to continue Ukraine’s defense. “No form of pressure on Russia can be eased,” Zelensky said. “The Russians are preparing to continue the war and are ignoring all peace proposals. They must be held accountable for this,” saying the exact things about Moscow that are true for Kiev. Trump figured out how Zelensky gaslighted Biden for over three years, getting nearly $300 billion from the U.S. Treasury, then, once Trump was in office, treating the U.S. as his enemy. EU officials should embrace Trump’s peace proposals that were an inch from ending the war. Only Zelensky wants it only on his terms.
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.
