LOS ANAGELES (oc).–Kremlin officials said yesterday after meeting with President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not rejected the peace plan that could bring an end to the Ukraine War. Trump has been working for months on a plan to end the nearly four-year conflict that’s decimated Ukraine, killing thousands, exiling millions and lost some 25% of Ukraine’s best sovereign territory. Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to reject Trump’s framework of trading land-for-peace, something demanded by Putin. Zelensky thought if he had the backing of the European Union he could make unrealistic demands but all he’s done is make peace more difficult. When it comes to the peace process, Zelensky and the EU have made things impossible for Putin, refusing to cede land won during four years of war.
Trump vacilates from frustration with Putin to knowing that the real obstacle to peace has been Zelensky and the EU. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer have given Zelensky unrealistic expectation for funding the war but, more importantly, with what it takes to end the conflict. Zelensky actually thought he could walk away with four years of war demanding that Putin return all sovereign land captured in the conflict. “No it would be not be correct” to say that Putin had rejected Trump’s peace plan, said Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “The fact is that such a direct exchange of views took place for the first time yesterday, and again, as was said yesterday, something was acccepted, something was noted as unacceptable, and this on a normal working process of seeking compromise,” Peskov said.
Peskov wanted the press to respect the private, delicate nature to the negotiations, not jump to unwarranted conclusions. EU officials were due to meet in Brussels to discuss with U.S. officials progress toward making peace. Rustern Umerov, secretary of the national Security and Defense Council, and Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the General Staff, were expected to go to Brussels to join the EU talks. Putin said the EU didn’t appear to want peace because of the strong positions taken by Zelensky and certain EU members. Putin said if the EU wants war with Russia, he’s ready to oblige them at anytime. If they want peace, Putin said he’s more than willing to negotiate a fair settlement. “This is our ongoing coordination with partners, and we ensure that the negotiation process is fully active,” said Zelenksy on social media. Zelensky seems to have softened his stance lately.
Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff have met with Putin several times and know what it takes to bring about a peace settlement. EU officials should back Trump’s peace efforts and let Zelensky know that it’s the best path to ending the conflict. Zelensky has watched his country destroyed over the last four year of war, knowing that it’s not going to get any better in the future. Zelensky once believed that if he could get enough cash-and-arms, he drive Russia out of Ukraine. Zelensky and the EU blame Putin for the Ukraine War, not accepting any responsibility for the U.S. arming Ukraine over Kremlin objections. Putin has expressed for a long time NATO’s encroachment into Russia’s backyard, leaving Moscow more vulnerable than ever. Once former President Joe Biden refused to stop arming Ukraine, Putin acted Feb. 24, 2022 to defend Russia.
Ending the Ukraine War hasn’t come easily for Trump, who’s waited patiently for a peace settlement that hasn’t yet come. Trump has doggedly pursued peace over the objections of Zelensky and the EU. EU officials have no peace plan on their own, only sets of demands echoed by Zelensky involving ceding sovereign land to Putin. Zelensky knows that it’s unrealistic to expect Putin to give back all his territory, given the costs and casualties from nearly four years of war. When it comes to peacemaking, Trump and his team have put in all the work necessary to finish the job. Now Zelensky and the EU need to stop fighting the process and accept that certain concessions will have to be made to end the conflict. Brussels knows it’s in no position to fund a perpetual war with the Kremlin. Thoughts of seizing frozen Russian assets have all been eliminated.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin appreciated all the effort put in by Trump to settle the Ukraine conflict. Peskov said he would keep the contents of the meeting confidential for now but added that Russia was “grateful for thse efforts by the Trump administration and we are ready to meet as many times as necessary to achieve a peaceful settlement,” Peskov said, confirming that the Russian side was serious about ending the war. What happens with Zelensky and Brussels is anyone’s guess. So far, Zelensky and the EU have made only unrealistic demands to end the conflict. Trump is the only one with a comprehensive plan to finally end the worst conflict in Europe since the end of WW II. Democrats and the fake news give Trump no credit for his peace efforts. Time to give Trump some credit where it’s deserved.
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.
