LOS ANGELES (OC).–Ending in Geneva with no breakthough, Ukraine peace talks between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia ended without any deal, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejecting the idea of ceding Donbas to the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin put down clear conditions for ending the war, demanding that the Ukraine army pull out of the eastern Donbas area. Putin controls about 80% of Donbas, demanding that Zelensky withdraw his troops the extra 20%. Yet in reality, Zelensky hasn’t controlled the eastern Donbas region since before the 2014 Maiden Revolution. So, leaving the area would be on compromise at all for Ukraine, meeting Putin’s reasonable condition of ceding the territory to the Kremlin. Zelensky and his EU backers refuse to g ive up territory to Putin. So, the war goes on with all its carnage and destruction to Ukraine.
President Donald Trump has been urging Zelensky in the strongest possible terms to accept his peace deal which involves trading land-for-peace in eastern Donbas. How ironic that Putin offered the same deal to Zelensky only two weeks after the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion, yet Zelensky refused then, opting for war with the Kremlin. Four years leater, Zelensky has lost some 25% of Ukraine’s best sovereign territory on the Black Sea coast. Every day that goes by without peace, Zelensky complains about Russian attacks on Ukraine’s civilian population, ofter referring to Putin as a terrorist. Putin wants to end the war just not on Zelensky’s terms. Trump has told Zelensky more than once to cut his losses, end the war and start rebuilding his country. Zelensky continues to tell the EU he’s no losing the war when he watches his country get bombarded by Russia diaily.
Getting Ukraine and Russia to the bargaining table has been half the batter but Zelensky shows no signs to giving in to Russian demands for eastern Donbas. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said all sides agreed “to continue to work towards a peace deal together,” showing that despite the failure progess was still being made. Trump urged Zelensky to make a deal quickly, saying its was “very unfair not just for Russians and Ukrainians who have lost their lives” but also for U.S. taxpayers that provided finaincial aid to Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks were “difficult.” Kremlin aid Vladimir Medinsky spoke with Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov spenmt an additional two hours after the talks had ended, showing that both sides were trying to reach an agreement. Ukraine wants the Zaporizhzhia power plan returned to Ukraine so the U.S. can jointly run Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
Lead Russian negotiator Vladimir Medisnsky and Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov worked overtime after the meeting formerly ended to see if they could make more progress. Talks are stuck on Ukraine wanting to return the Zaporizhzhia power plant and withdrawing Ukraine troops from Donbas. When you consider Zelensky loses nothing Ukraine hasn’t already lost in eastern Donbas, it only makes sense to give Putin what he wants. He wants nothing more than what he wanted at the start of the war to have the independence of the Peoples Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. “Ukraine better come to table fast. That’s all I’m telling you,” Trump said, trying to push the peace deal to the finish line. Zelensky has accused Trump of doing Moscow’s bidding, running to the EU to oppose making territorial concessions to the Kremlin.
Zelensky refuses to admit that over the last four years, he’s destroyed Ukraine’s infrastructure, driving millions into exile, all because he decided on war with the Kremlin rather than negotiate a deal. Zelensky and the EU demanded that Putin remove all his troops from Ukraine, including in the Crimean Penniiula, something unacceptable to Putin. Putin has said recently that if Zelensky doesn’t remove his troops from eastern Donbas the Kremlin will continue to wage war until he does. Zelensky hasn’t taken the consequences of war with the Kremlin seriously, continuing to say he hasn’t lost the war. Zelensky knows the price of war to Ukraine, coercing the EU to loan him 200 billion euros to keep the war going for two more years. Zelensky fears that if he levels with the Ukrainian people about losses to Ukraine, he’ll be ousted from power.
Zelensky wants Putin to surrender all of Ukraine’s captured territory including Crimea to end the war. Since that won’t happen, his refusal to face reality has cost his country dearly. Whether Putin controls eastern Donbas or not, Ukraine cannot win the war with the Kremlin. Trump has told Zelensky to cut his losses, telling him he should have never engaged the Kremlin in a war from the beginning. There’s no face-saving or honor in continuing a war where Zelensky loses more territory by the day and kills many of his young soldiers now deserting or avoiding military service in droves. Ukraine’s youthful population does not want to sacrifice their lives for a losing proposition. Putin understands that he can no longer control Kiev. So, for Zelensky to end the war, Putin is not asking him to give up power, despite asking why he hasn’t called democratic elections.
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.
