LOS ANGELES (OC.–.–Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Polish defenses for intercepting Russia drones that strayed into Poland’s airspace. Zelensky has been looking to join NATO or better yet for NATO to enter the war against the Kremlin. “The precedent of using combat aircraft from several European countries simultaneously to shoot down Russian weapons and protect human lives is highly significant,” Zelensky posted on X. President Donald Trump has done everything possible to avoid military confrontation with NATO, seeking to settle the conflict at the peace table through negotiation-and-compromise. Zelensky and his EU backers have shown no interest in Trump’s peace plans with Russian President Vladimir Putin, requiring Zelensky to trade land-for-peace. EU officials led by French President Emmanuel Macron have opposed signing away in any settlement any sovereign land to Russian President Vladimir Putin, thinking it would encourage him to take more land.
So when Zelensky asked the EU take take over the peace process, they essentially ended any prospects for ending the war. Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff have met or talked with Putin over five times in the last few months to understand clearly what any peace deal with look like. Since the EU has taken over, they back Zelensky’s position that the war cannot end if Putin expects to seize any of Ukraine’s sovereign land. Trump has advised Zelensky to cut his losses, end the war and start the costly rebuilding process. Zelensky and EU officials met in Paris last week to discuss post-war security plans. Zelensky wants a NATO-like Article 5 plan where any attack on Ukraine after a peace deal would be me with a universal response from all 27 European countries. Zelensky and the EU are content to discuss post-war security when there’s no plan to end the war.
Zelensky has been a big backer of more sanctions on the Kremlin, believing that more punitive measures would coerce Putin into ending the war on Zelensky’s terms. Zelensky said eight drones drifted into Polish air space, saying some of the Iranian-made Shahed drones came from Belarus, a key Kremlin ally. “It is clear that Russian aggression poses a danger to every independent nation in our region, and therefore only join and coordinated action can guarantee reliable security,” Zelensky wrote on X. If you listen to Zelensky, all EU countries are threatened by the Russian Federation. “Russia is deliberately expanding its aggression, posing an even growing threat to Europe,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on her social network. Putin said last week that if Zelensky and the EU don’t want peace, he’ll finish the job militarily.
Whatever Trump tried to accomplish by engaging Putin in realistic terms for a permanent peace settlement, the EU has deliberately undermined his efforts. Recent statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz calling Putin a “war criminal” and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling him a “predater,” speak volumes about where Brussels has taken Trump’s peace efforts. Last week Zelensky met in Paris with EU officials to discuss post-war security plans. Yet Zelensky and EU have no plan in place to end the war. What good is post-war security when there’s no peace plan to end the war? Statements coming from the EU indicate that Brussels plans to keep paying for perpetual proxy war with the Russian Federation. How’s that supposed to work out? Post-war security means nothing if there’s no consensus between warring parties on peace.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said with Russian drones straying across the Polish border there “yet another stark reminder that Russia is not just a threat to Ukraine but to all of Europe and NATO,” giving the true EU position. So, when it comes to the daily destruction of Ukraine, what has the EU done to change anything? Poland, Lithuania and Estonia can complain about what Putin might do in the future, but look what he’s doing right now with his destructive aerial bombardments. Accusing Putin of future plans to take over EU countries is pure conjecture based on unfounded accusations. Putin has told every responsible journalist since the war with Ukraine began Feb. 24, 2022 that he had no plans to move into Europe. Where is the EU getting its intel? Sounds a lot like the EU gets its intel from Kiev who’ve been accusing Putin of warmongering for years.
Zelensky has pushed for war since Russia invaded its borders Feb. 24, 2022. Putin had troops in Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea at the time and offered to end the invasion if Zelensky accepted the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk and Russian sovereignty over Crimea. Zelensky opted for war and has watched his country destroyed over the last three-and-a-half-years. Now Zelensky, with EU backing, says he will not settle the conflict by surrendering land to the Kremlin. Putin has seized over the war some 25% of Ukraine;s best sovereign territory on the Black Sea coast. So when it comes to negotiating for peace, what does Ukraine have to offer Putin to end the war? Without trading sovereign land, Putin would have no spoils to the bloody and costly Ukraine War. Looks like the EU has its own agenda when it comes to settling the conflict.
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.
