LOS ANGELES (OC).–President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he would arrange a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin with Trump agreeing with his team to mediate the high-stakes event. Zelensky showed more civility today with his EU partners present, nothing like the Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting with Trump that deteriorated into a knock-down-drag-out fight with Vice President J.D. Vance over the Ukraine. Trump and Vance tried to get Zelensky to end the war by trading land-for-peace, something Zelensky hasn’t agreed to yet. Trump said on Truth Social that Zelensky could end the war immediately by agreeing to two conditions that he cede Crimea and end his bid for NATO membership. All else could be worked out, including Russian control over Donetsk and Luhansk, both Russian speaking enclaves in the Donbas region.
Right after the war started Feb. 24, 2022, Putin offered to end the conflict if Zelensky accepted Russian sovereignty over Crimea and independence for Donetsk and Luhansk. Zelensky rejected Putin;s offer, instead went to war with U.S. arms-and-cash for over three years and lost some 25% of Ukraine’s best sovereign territory on the Black Sea. So when negotiating an end to the Ukraine War, Putin controls most of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. So, had Zelensky not gone to war, Ukraine would not be in ruins and would retain all the land lost in the war. Trump wants Zelensky to cut his losses, end the war and let the U.S. help in reconstructing Ukraine. When it comes to any future skirmish with Russia, Zelensky can stay out of trouble by not provoking the Kremlin by taking unlimited U.S. arms and threatening to join NATO.
Having EU officials at the meeting today at the White House helped control Zelensky’s temper, known for losing control when things don’t go his way. When Trump says Zelensky could end the war quickly, he’s talking about accepting some of Putin’s terms when it comes to Ukraine staying away from NATO and ceding the Crimean Peninsula. Zelensky expects the EU to back him if he continues the war with the Kremlin. Judging by today’s meeting at the White House, the EU does not want to take over funding Ukraine’s proxy war with the Kremlin. Former President Joe Biden or his VP Kamala Harris would have kept the war going indefinitely, no matter what the casualties and costs to Ukraine. Zelensky thinks he can replace the U.S. funding sources with the EU, something Brussels isn’t prepared to do. EU officials agreed that the war should end.
Zelensky keeps talking about acquiring more lethal weapons, asking German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for German-made long-range Taurus missiles. Judging by the consensus at the table today, it looked like they all agree that Zelensky should work toward peace. So, when it comes to escalating the war, there doesn’t seem to be support in the EU, other than backing Zelensky’s desire to have peace with “dignity.” Peace with dignity means to Zelensky getting rid of all Russian troops out of Ukraine. Putin seized Crimea March 1, 2014 after a CIA-backed pro-Western coup toppled the Kremlin-backed government of Viktor Yanukovych. So, the Russian military has been in Donbas for years supporting Russian enclaves. Residents of Donetsk and Luhansk want no part of Zelensky’s Kiev government, making you wonder what Zelensky has accomplished in over three years of war.
Zelensky thinks after battling with the Kremlin for over three years on the U.S. and EU dime, he can call the shots in any peace talks. While it’s good that Trump wants to arrange a meeting with Putin, if there’s no plan or willingness to deal with Putin’s conditions for peace, fhen how’s that going to turn out? Simply putting Putin and Zelensky in a room with Trump mediating wouldn’t get too far. Before Putin and Zelensky get in the same room, their teams should work out the details of what each side wants in any peace deal. Zelensky may want all his land back but would he accept a return of Kherson and Zaporizhzia? Putin may want it all but may be willing to settle for Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, the same territories he held before the war started Feb. 24, 2025. Trump should help both parties see the benefits of ending the bloody, costly war.
Before Putin and Zelensky get in the same room, the details of what they’re willing to do for a peace deal better be worked out to the nth detail. Putin and Zelensky have their demands but only negotiation and compromise on sovereign land can bring about peace. Zelensky wants Putin out of Ukraine but t hat’s not happening since he controls some 25% of Ukraine best sovereign territory on the Black Seat coast. Putin pushed on in the war to take Kherson and Zaporizhia but what good does it do Russia if they remain at war? Trump offered Zelensky and Putin some big incentives for settling the conflict, including ending the punitive economic sanctions that have crippled the Russian economy. Ending the war allows Putin get Russian back into the economy mainstream, including joining the G7 and G20 again, opening the doors to many opportunities.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of Onlnecolumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
