LOS ANGELES (OC).–Striking Lviv with a nuclear-capable intermediate range Oreshnik missile in Western Ukraine close to the European Union border, 73-year-old President Vladimir Putin sent a strong message to Washington and Brussels that’s he’s not happy with Ukraine or U.S. actions in Venezuela. Putin responded to Ukraine’s drone attacks on Moscow, showing that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has taken a more aggressive stance on the nearly four-year=old Ukraine War. Firing the Oreshnik only 40 miles from the EU border, Putin wants the West to know he’s a long way from agreeing to President Donald Trump’s peace deal, especially after French President Emmanuel Macron worked with Zelensky and EU allies to agree on a post-war security arrangement, essentially agreeing to putting NATO troops in Ukraine something unacceptable to Putin.
Hitting Lviv with a Oreshnik intermediate range, nuclear missile shows that Putin isn’t happy with the way things have gone with Ukraine or Venezuela. President Donald Trump recently seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Caribbean, prompting Putin to stand down. Putin once had considerable clout in Venezuela, Cuba and other Latin American countries leaning toward socialism or communist states. “Vlaaidmr Put is using this to communicate with the West, because he could undoubtedly achieve the same operational effects without this missle,” said Cyrus Bret, a Russian expert at the Paris-based Montaigne Institute. Putin sees little progress in ending the Ukraine War with the EU laying out unacceptable post-war conditions including NATO troops. EU officials have a post-war plan that actually kills any peace plan promoted by the White House.
Putin feels disrespected by Zelensky and the EU, especially for its post-war strategy that brings NATO forces inside Ukraine, something Putin already rejected. Trump has worked on a workable peace plan with Putin for months, haggling over territory exchange to end the war, but, more importantly, a post-war arrangement acceptable to Moscow.”It is much closer to e EU borders,” said Etienne Marcuz on X, an associate fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research, a French think tank. “This should probably be seen as a message to European countries, saying he strike was more operational than operational. Putin tries to get the White House and EU attention at a time where the Trump tries to contain a growing crisis with ICE agents shooting protesters recently in Minnesota and Oregon. Trump has put the Ukraine War on the backburner for now.
Putin’use of the Oreshnik IRBM was designed to intimitade Brussels from its ongoing funding of the Ukraine War. Trump ended U.S. funding after taking office, telling Zelensky Feb. 28, 2025 to cut his losses, end the war and start rebuilding his country. Zelensky tookTrump’s suggestions harshly and bolted out of the Oval Office, accusing Trump of taking Russia’s since. Since Feb. 28, 2025, Zelensky ran to the EU, hoping to find a new benefactor who agreed with him that he should surrender no land to Putin. Putin made clear to Trump and Zelensky that the war would not end if Donetsk and Luhansk were not in Russian hands. Zelensky and the EU have done everything to sabotage Trump’s peace plan that includes the bare minimum for eompleting a deal with Putin. Putin made clear the war would not end without Zelensky surrendering Donetsk and Luhansk.
Striking Lviv with the Oreshnik IRBM tells the wWest that Putin could escalate the conflict at anytime if Zelensky doesn’t agree to his terms. “It is a psychological weapon—an instrument of Putin’ cognitive war against Ukraine and the West—rather that a weap of mass physical destruction,” wrote Mick Ryan, retired major general from the Australian army and Ukraine War analyst. Ryan thinks Putin responded out of weakenss because he no longer has the clout to end the war on his terms. Trump has told Zelensky on repeat occasions that Putin holds the cards in the conflict because he’s captured 25% of Ukraine’s best sovereign territory in less that four years of war. Putin has b ecome more frustrated because the EU offers no reassurance of how to end the war meeting hims minimum condictions. EU officials currently fund proxy war with the Kremlin, ending diplomatic relations with Moscow.
Whether or not Putin used the Oresknik IRBM only 40 milies from the EU border, doesn’t change the Ukraine War. Zelensky and the EU must decide whether or not they plan to comply with Putin’s minimum requirement for ending the war. “The deployment of the Oreshnik therefore seemed more a PR exercise, perrrrhaps aimed at the Trump administration signaling that Russia is unhappy more broadly about the state play in the world,” said Timothy Ash, an emerging market economist specialize in Russia. Putin isn’t kidding when he tells Zelensky and the EU that he can keep the war going indefinitely if his minimum requirements are not met. Zelensky and the EU must decide whether or not they want to end the war. Trump told Zelensky the longer the war goves the more likely Ukraine sustains more carnage, destruction and loss of territory.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.comand author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma..
