LOS ANGELES (OC).–President Donald Trump spoke today with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky request for Tomahawk Cruise Missiles. Tomahawk Cruise missiles have a range of 2,500 km [1,500 miles], something Putin certainly doesn’t want. Speaking with Putin before his meeting in the White House tomorrow with Zelensky speaks volumes about Trump’s motives. Putin knows Trump wants a peace deal for Ukraine in the worst way, knowing that his biggest obstacle has been Zelensky, himself, who refused to negotiate with Putin on a peace deal. Trump raises the issue of Tomahawk Cruise missiles to let Putin know that he would never provide them to Zelensky but he still wants to move ahead with a peace deal. Trump wants to end the war through negotiation-and-compromise while Zelensky wants to keep it going.
Zelensky has no incentive to end the Ukraine War based on the amount of cash he’s currently receiving from the European Union. Trump has turned off the spigot to Kiev but the EU continues to fund the Ukraine War, giving Zelensky $177 billion. Zelensky uses the cash to pay for the war but also the bankrupt Kiev government, pouring all its cash into its military, unable to rebuild the country because of the war. “I might have to speak to Russia about Tomahawks. Do they want Tomahawks going in the direction? I don’t think so,” Trump said. “I think I might speak to Russia about that in all fairness. I told that to President Zelensky. Because Tomawaws are a new step of aggression,” Trump said, letting the press know that he has no intent of giving Zelensky Tomahawks. Zelensky wants Tomahawks to hit Russia’s oil infrastructure.
Trump has worked hard since taking office to restore U.S.-Russian relations. While the peace negotiations have not gone as planned, he can’t blame only Putin for the delays. Zelensky has shown no interest in ceding land-for-peace, leaving Trump peace plans in limbo. Putin and Trump were within 90% of striking a peace deal before the European Union decided to join Zelensky and demand that Putin end the war without any territorial concessions. Zelensky has been told that any peace deal would involve land swaps because Putin controls some 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory on the Black Sea coast and into Donbass. If Zelensky wants to end the war he must make concessions to Putin to pull it off. Trump told Zelensky Feb. 28 that he should cut his losses, end the war and start to rebuild Ukraine. Zelensky stormed out of the meeting, throwing a hissy fit.
Trump’s call with Putin let him know that he doesn’t want to give Zelensky Tomahawk missiles but he’s under pressure from Congress to do something. “I might say, ‘Look, if this war isn’t go get settled, I might send them Tomahawks,’” Trump said, knowing that it would kill U.S.-Russian relations. So, more likely, Trump would say to Putin please help me out and try to end the war, so we can get to peace table and you can get your concessions. Unlike the EU that opposes territorial concessions to Russia, Trump has no problems with Putin getting his spoils of war. Putin lost untold number of soldiers and spent billions prosecuting the Ukraine War over the last t here-and-a-half years. Giving Zelensky Tomahawks runs counter to Trump’s instincts to deescalate the war before it morphs into a wider conflict. EE officials must get behind Trump’s plan and stop pandering to zelensky.
Trump wants to see the Ukraine War end at the earliest possible time. Discussing that with Putin can only help move things along with or without Zelensky. Trump should tell Putin lets make a peace deal and we’ll sell it to the European Union, including reassurances for the Baltic States and Poland that Russia has no intent to seizing more territory. Zelensky convinced the EU that Putin had his sights on European territory, maybe the Baltic States. Putin has never said or hinted that he wanted to go to war with NATO. Zelensky has been trying to get NATO to join the war against Moscow, something it’s resisted, including rejecting Zelensky’s call to join NATO. So when it comes to peacemaking, Trump knows that Putin isn’t the one resisting a peace deal, more than Zelensky knowing that in any realistic peace settlement he’s going to have to give up sovereign land to Putin.
Trump using the Tomahawk Cruise missiles to get Zelensky to come around to making peace with the Kremlin. Trump won’t offer Zelensky Tomahawks only say that if Putin doesn’t come around to peace talks he might change his mind. Zelensky would use the missiles to attack Russia’s oil infrastructure, the thing he thinks fuels the Russian war machine. But attacking Russia won’t shorten the war only prolong it, possibly escalating it to other countries in Europe. Zelensky isn’t concerned about WW III or nuclear war, he’s wants all the cash-and-arms he can get to continue his battle with the Kremlin. Trump told him to cut his losses, end the war and start the lengthy and costly rebuilding process. So far, Zelensky resists ending the war thinking he can get Ukraine’s sovereign territory back. When Trump talks with Zelensky tomorrow, he’ll shift the topic from Tomahawks to peace.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutal commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
