LOS ANGELES (OC).–Calling for a face-to-face meeting with 72-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin, 47-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens continues his PR offensive with Western governments showing he’s the one interested in peace. Zelensky has been calling for more sanctions against the Russian Federation for its drones straying into Polish airspace. Zelensky no longer backs 79-year-old President Donald Trump’s peace talks that calls for Zelensky to trade land-for-peace, something Zelensky and the EU refuse to do. Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff has met with Putin five times in the last two months to see what conditions must be met for a long-term political settlement. Putin told Witkoff that Zelensky must accept Russian control over Kherson, Zaporizhzia, Donetsk and Luhansk, all territories seized by Putin in three-and-a-half years of war with Ukraine.
Zelensky has deluded himself into believing that a face-to-face meeting with Putin would result in a 30-day ceasefire agreement, leading to substantive peace talks. Trump and Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska Aug. 15 to discuss and ceasefire, but, more importantly, talk about a lasting peace deal. Trump and Putin decided to forgo a 30-day ceasefire and move to a permanent settlement. “Sometimes we need it. Even if we don’t love faces,” Zelensky told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria at the Yalta summit in Kiev. Zelensky still insists that any last peace must start with a ceasefire agreement. Putin sees no effort on Zelensky’s part to work with a peace delegation to hammer out the terms-and-conditions of any long-term peace arrangement. Putin said the first the Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams must work out any of the details before Zelensky and Putin meet in person.
Zelensky decided he wants to speak to Putin without the U.S. or European Union, thinking he can make progress toward a ceasefire. But Putin works differently, seeking Russian and Ukrainian delegations to work on the all the details before the two leaders meet to sign an agreement. “So there is an order of the points of discussions. The first, we need meeting with outcome of a ceasefire. And he is not ready for the meeting today. It’s is true. Yes. Then if he wants to speak about territories and about some historical crazy things and et cetera. I’m ready to speak with him. But not through Americans, not through Europeans. With their support, yes, but no through,” Zelensky told Zakaria. Zelensky thinks he has the stature on the world stage to speak to with Putin and get results. Meeting with Putin simply to persuade him to engage in a 30-day ceasefire would backfire.
Putin needs more that just idle talk to get results done. He and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have been very clear that the peace delegation for both countries must work out all the details before both leaders meet face-to-face. Zelensky and he EU made an issue out of Putin’s refusal to OK a 30-day ceasefire, instead agreeing with Trump that both sides should work on a long-term peace deal. Zelensky seems behind the curve speaking with Zakaria about meeting face-to-face, when it’s not likely to happen. Putin needs to see in writing that Zelensky is willing to cede territory to Putin to end the war. Zelensky thinks that after three-and-a-half years of war with the Kremlin, he can get his land back. Putin wants his spoils of war after spending million and losing thousands of troops. Zelensky has his own ideas about what’s fair in any political settlement.
Zelensky says he wants peace but he’s waging guerrilla war with Russia, hitting Russia oil infrastructure with drone attacks. Last week, Zelensky attacked one of Russia’s largest oil refineries near St. Petersburg. If that sounds like a peace overture, the what does? Zelensky wants his European benefactors to think it’s Putin that’s throwing up roadblock to peace. But asking for a face-to-face meeting with Putin makes no sense, knowing he’ll negotiate nothing on his own without consulting with his peace delegation. Zelensky praised NATO for shooting down Russian drones that strayed into Polish airspace, recommending that the EU slaps Putin with more economic sanctions. Putin knows Zelensky’s position and its not favorable to the Russian Federation. Putin sees Zelensky as using the EU to fund proxy war against the Kremlin, watching recent drone strikes on Russia’s oil infrastructure.
Telling Zakaria that he’s ready for direct talks with Putin shows that it’s only for PR or shows how naïve Zelensky is about any formal peace process. Putin said he needs both peace delegations to do the hard work to come up with a political solution to the Ukraine War. Putin has many good reasons to end the conflict, ending the U.S. and EU sanctions on the Russian Federation. Putin stands to benefit financially by ending the war, opening the door to selling more oil and natural gas on world markets, including the EU. Putin was a major oil and gas supplier to the EU for years, until he invaded Ukraine Feb. 24, 2022. Zelensky has a lot to lose by making peace, including billions in arms-and-cash from the EU. Trump made it clear to Zelensky that he would not continue the old Biden policy of proxy war with the Kremlin. Trump looks to improve diplomatic relations.
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.
