LOS ANGELES (OC).–Meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky complained about Russian strikes on his country, killing innocent civilians and destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Zelensky thought Trump would be so outraged by Russia’s aerial assault that he would release the Tomahawk Cruise missiles he had requested. Zelensky wanted the weapons to strike deep inside the Russian Federation at its oil infrastructure, he believes fuels the Russian war machine. Trump agreed with Zelensky but thought it was a bad idea to escalate the war when he knows Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the conflict. Zelensky has rejected Putin’s peace overtures because they trade land-for-peace, something Zelensky doesn’t want to do. Zelensky seems more receptive to Trump’s peace plans than before.
When Zelensky denounced Trump at the Munich Security Conference, it was clear he was going in a different direction than Trump. Following that meeting, Zelensky met several times with the European Union, largely led by French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron thinks that if Zelensky surrenders territory to Russia, it’s just a matter of time before the EU will be ceding territory to Putin under a different set of circumstances. So, Zelensky liked what he heard from Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, all refusing to cede land in any peace settlement to the Kremlin. For the last several months, Zelensky let the EU handle peace discussions, meeting to talk about post-war security when they had no peace plan to end the war. Zelensky finally sees what Trump’s been talking about for a year to cut his losses.
Trump feuded with Zelensky over his approach to the war only seeking more cash-and-arms to continue to battle the Kremlin. Trump told Zelensky Feb. 28 in the Oval Office that he needed to cut his losses, end the war and start rebuilding Ukraine. Zelensky stormed out of the meeting angry, refusing to cede territory to Putin to end the conflict. While not known for sure, Zelensky says he’s more receptive to Trump’s peace plans. Before Trump met Zelensky Oct. 17, he spoke at length to Putin about ending the war. Both leaders agreed to meet in Budapest for another summit to see if a consensus peace plan could be offered. “This fall, the Russians are using every single day to strike our energy infrastructure,” Zelensky said on Telegram. If Zelensly listened to Trump six months ago, Ukraine could have been spared all the death, destruction and lost territory.
Trump thinks his last phone call with Putin clarified that both leaders want to work on a viable peace plan. Whether Zelensky or the EU goes for it or not, they don’t have much choice because Putin is firmly in control on the 1,200 km [800 mile] battlefront, where he continues to take Ukrainian territory daily. Zelensky and the EU thought they could make unrealistic demands and get Putin to end the war without taking any Ukrainian territory. Well, Putin was in Ukraine before the war in Donesk and Luhansk and will no doubt remain in Ukraine for the foreseeable future. As long as Zelensky refuses to cede land to Putin, he’ll continue to take a daily beating with Russian aerial bombardments. If he wants the carnage and destruction to end, he’ll make peace with Putin, not on his terms but on a mutually agreed to peace plan worked out by Trump.
Trump resists joining the EU and a bipartisan move in the Senate to impose more sanctions on the Kremlin. Trump has worked feverishly to reset U.S.-Russian relations over four years of Biden destroying 80-year-of post WW II cooperation with the Kremlin. Biden was the first-and-only U.S. president to go to war with Russia, essentially wrecking diplomatic relations. Trump had a big task entering office with Russia and the U.S. now mortal enemies. So when it comes to imposing more sanctions or granting Zelensky’s request for Tomahawk Cruise missiles or other defensive weapon systems, Trump operates with great caution no to do anything to escalate the war. Trump wants to end the war at the earliest possible time, not escalate it. Trump has pressure from certain anti-Russian war hawks in Congress to slap Russia with more sanctions.
Zelensky complains daily about Russian attacks on Ukraine but does nothing to bring the conflict to the peace table. Whether he’s learned his lesson or not, Trump is the only one who, with Putin, can pull off an end to the Ukraine War. Putin has many incentives to end the war, not least of which is to save Russian lives and improve the economy. If Putin ends the war, he’ll be welcomed back into the G7 and G20 where nations work on trade deals around the globe. Putin has done well to continue his oil sales to China, India and other countries, circumventing sanctions designed to harm the Russian economy. Ending the war would have a big peace dividend for Putin, even encouraging with Trump joint ventures with the U.S. Trump and Putin know that Zelensky is the main obstacle to peace. He’s afraid of a coup d’etat if he admits how much land he’s lost.
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.
