LOS ANGELES (OC).–Boiling it down to semantics, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he didn’t like parts of President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the Ukraine War but admitted that he would agree to a demilitarized zone in DonetsK, Luhansk, Zaporizhiza and Kherson, meaning that he would pull back the Ukrainian military but not leave the region. Zelensky refuses to cede land to Moscow but is willing to pull back his troops and stop the fighting for a peace deal. Zelensky wants to believe he still has sovereignty over Ukrainian land, when, in fact, Trump’s peace plan gives Moscow control of the regions. “In the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, the line of troop deployment as the date of this agreement is de facto recognized as the line of contact,” Zelensky said, viewing the peace plan. Zelensky has been adamant about not ceding sovereign territory.
Zelensky complained to his European Union partners in the past that Trump wanted him to cede territory to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a plan to end the war. Whether Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to Trump’s peace plan is anyone’s guess. Trump wants to recognize Russian gains in the nearly four-year war, but, at the same time, satisfy Zelensky’s demand to not cede territory. How ironic that Putin offered the same deal only weeks after the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion, offering to stop the “special military operation” if Zelensky recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk and Russian sovereignty over Crimea. Zelensky rejected Putin’s offer and with former President Joe Biden’s cash-and-arms, went to war with the Kremlin. Nearly four years later, Zelensky has lost more sovereign territory and destroyed much of his country.
Zelensky has found a way to save face in signing on to Trump’s peace deal by calling Russian occupation of Ukrainian territory as demilitarized zone, meaning the Ukrainian military has withdrawn its forces from the area. “A free economic zone. If we are discussing this, then we need to go to a referendum,” Zelensky said, referring to areas that Ukraine’s military may pull out. When it comes to NATO, Zelensky knows the position of Russia, seeing membership as a red flag for any peace agreement. Zelensky has been rejected for NATO membership because Ukraine does not meet NATO standards on democracy and financial solvency. Without EU capital, Kiev would be bankrupt, unable to pay civil servants. Zelensky said Trump’s peace plan does not rule out NATO membership in the future, something Putin might reject. Putin has been concerned about NATO encroachment.
Zelensky and the EU have been reluctant to trade land-for-peace, believing that it encouraged Putin to go after other European territory. But Putin has said on many occasions he’s willing to offer the EU a legally binding agreement that he will not seek to extend Russian territory into Europe. Zelensky has made a big deal about Russsia seeking to take over more European territory. Telling the EU that he’s defending European democracy, Zelensky pretends that he’s serving as a buffer from Putin’s ultimate ambitions to seize more EU territory. Zelensky has made a very big deal in any peace plan that Ukraine gets NATO’s Aricle 5-like security from the U.S. and EU. But if Putin enters into a binding peace agreement with Ukraine, it’s unnecessary to get more iron clad security guarantees from the U.S. and EU. Zelensky’s best assurance is getting along with Moscow.
When Zelensky decided to let Biden arm Ukraine with lethal U.S. weapons it became a problem for Moscow. Putin said U.S. arms deliveries to Kiev as a threat to Russian national security. Putin tried to get Biden to discuss new security arrangement for Ukraine but refused to do it for months before the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion. Bide repeated the talking points that the invasion was “unjustified and unprovoked,” but that certainly wasn’t Putin’s view. He said the build up of U.S. weapons in Ukraine threatened the Russian Fedration. So when it comes to who provoked the invasion, it’s clear that Putin thought Kiev taking arms-and-cash from the U.S. threatened the Kremlin. Fighting a nearly four year war was a waste for Ukraine, only damaging Ukraine’s infrastructure and killing thousands of civilians and soldiers. Zelensky never admitted he lost the war.
Zelensky found a way talking with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff to save face, not having to give up more sovereign territory or admit he lost the war. Witkoff proposed creating demilitarized economic zones around Donetsk and Luhansk, requiring the Ukrainian military to pull back its forces. While Putin would like to receive sovereignty, he’s perfectly content to control the territory, seeing Ukraine’s military leave. “We are in a situation where the Russsians want us to withdraw from the Donetsk region, whil the American are trying to find a way,” Zelensky said, considering the demilitarized or economic zones. “They are looking for a demilitarized zone for a free economic zone, meaning a formal that could satisfy both sides,” Zelensky said, showing he’s more inclined to settle the conflict. Trump has been patient with Putin and Zelensky reaching a deal.
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.
