LOS ANGELES (oc).–President Donald Trump took the bull by the horns, presenting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with a complex peace plan designed to end the war regardless of all the face-saving about the plan somehow favoring Moscow. Contrary to the fake news, Trump isn’t on Putin’s side, he’s on the side of world peace, ending a dangerous conflict that at anytime could engulf the European Continent. Zelensky has had years to battle the Kremlin with U.S. and NATO weapons, resulting, after over three-and-a-half-years of war a loss of 25% of Ukraine best sovereign territory. Zelensky has asked the European Union to fund the war with the Kremlin knowing there’s no end in sight, but, more importantly, no real prospect of defeating the Russian Federation. Zelensky has pretended for the duration of the war that with enough Western arms, he could defeat the Kremlin.
Zelensky has his sympathizers in the U.S. Congress and in the EU, all of whom oppose Trump’s plans to impose a peace settlement that involves land concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump faces criticism in Ukraine and the EU for expecting Zelensky to make land concessions to Putin, the only way to end the war. Trump and his peace envoy Steve Witkoff has spent considerable time with Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, knowing best what it’s going to take to end the conflict. “We’re trying to end it. One way or the other, we have to get it ended,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. Why the press wants to continue the bloody and costly conflict is anyone’s guess. But it does Zelensky no good to fantasize that with enough U.S. and NATO weapons he can beat the Russian Federation.
Putin wants to end the war, just not on Zelensky or the EU’s terms that involves Russian pulling all its forces out of Ukraine. Putin annexed Crimea March 1, 2014 after a CIA-backed coup toppled the Kremlinn-backed Kiev government of Viktor Yanukovych. Putin annexed Crimea to protect his navy and air force bases in Crimea after an abrupt change of government Feb. 22, 2014. “Now Ukraine may find itself facing a very difficult choice, either loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partners,” Zelensky said in speech Friday. “Tbey will lose in a short period of time. You know so,” Trump said during a Fox News radio show. “They are losing land. They’re losing land, challenging Zelensky and the EU to get real about what it takes to end the conflict. Trump told Zelensky the same thing Feb. 28 in the Oval Offcie, only to watch Zelensky go ballistic.
Trump isn’t concerned about Democrats and the fake news that encourage Zelensky to keep fighting, to not surrender any sovereign territory. Trump told Zelensky Feb. 28 that he didn’t have the cards to dictate terms of any peace deal. Zelensky has been blinded by his rage against Putin for destroying Ukraine’s infrastructure, killing thousands of civilians and military and driving millions more into exile. Trump told Zelensky he made a big mistake going to war with the Kremlin Feb. 24, 2022, all because former President Joe Biden supported his war with Moscow. Zelensky found out quickly how easy it was to lose his country’s best sovereign land, no matter how much he pushed back. Trump’s peace proposal still runs against Zelensky’s instincts to keep fighting. Unlike the fake news and certain members of Congress and the EU, Trump wants Ukraine to prosper.
Trump wants Zelensky to understand that there’s no shame in negotiating a deal that’s actually good for Ukraine. Zelensky doesn’t wants to surrender land to Moscow but he also doesn’t want to fight a bloody war that continues to lose sovereign territory. Trump was asked what happens if Zelensky rejects his peace plan. “Then he can continue to fight his little heart out,” Trump said, realizing that the fake news opposes any peace deal. But Zelensky has come to fork in the road with the EU getting fed up with funding a perpetual war. Zelensky has refused to face reality that he’s essentially lost the war with Russia, with Putin seizing more Ukrainian sovereign land. Zelensky fears a coup d’etat when Ukrainians realize they’ve lost so much sovereign territory to the Kremlin. Zelensky has told the public that Ukraine was winning the Ukraine war.
Whether Democrat or the fake news admit it or not, Trump has gone beyond all expectations trying to end the Ukraine War. While he’s encountered resistance from Zelensky and Putin, Trump forged a realistic plan, vetted by the Russian government, realizing what it would take to bring about peace. Whatever differences Zelensky has had with Trump, he has no better ally in the White House to help Ukraine rebuilt after the war ends. Zelensky must get over his face-saving and do what’s right for his country, ending the bloodshed. Trump’s peace plan, no matter how objectionable to Zelensky, forces his hand to do something, knowing he doesn’t want to surrender territory to Putin. Putin wants nothing more than he did back in 2022, to have Kiev recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk. After over three-and-a-half-years of war, Zelensky ends up in the same place.
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.
