LOS AANGELES (OC).–Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, 38, was asked by some unnamed European Union officials to halt attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure. EU officials were concerned that with the Iran War blazing, there’s enough worldwide pressure on oil prices to continue interfering with Russia oil supply. President Donald Trump, much to Zelensky’s dislike, ended certain sanctions on oil sales, making it easier for Russian President Vladimir Putin to sell his oil on world markets. Zelensky said he only strikes Russian oil infrastructure when Russia does the same to Ukraine. But given that Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, world oild priee hav skyrocked to over $100 a barrel, an abysmal benchmark signaling shortages and energy inflation. After receiving over 100 billion euros from Brussels, Zelensky shows no interest in settling the war for the next two years.
Zelensky and the EU have no plan for ending the Ukraine War, believing they can outlast the Russian Federation, forcing Putin to get out of Ukraine. Putin set his conditions for ending the Ukraine War, something Zelensky and the EU reject. President Donald Trump’s peace plan calls for Zelensky to compromise on land currently occupied in the eastern Donbas region. Zelensky and the EU have refused to surrender any Ukrainian territory to Putin, despite the fact that he controls over 80% of eastern Donbas since Feb. 22, 2014, the date of the Maiden Revolution. Trump has lost his patience with Zelensky for not accepting his peace plan that would have ended already. Flush with over 100 billion euros from the EU, Zelensky shows no interest in changing the status quo. Zelensky fears a coup d’etat if Ukrainians know hom much soverign land he’s lost in four years of war.
Since the Iran War started Feb. 28, Ukraine has taken a back burner, realizing that there’s more important global developments than Ukraine. Trump’s attention is fully focused on Iran, contemplating the next move when an April 6 deadline comes up. Reports of dissension between the IRGC and Iranian President Pezehkian only scratch the surface with many of Iran’s past leaders liquidate by Israeli attacks. Trump realizes more than ever that the Iran War cannot end until the mullah regime is driven from power. It’s not enough the degrade Iran’s military when the leadership itself demands sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. How much longer can the world be held hostage by another terrorist regime causing havoc in world oil markets. Iran can’t live without torturing its neighbors with constant terror attacks, including the recent unprovoked attacks on Arab Gulf States.
EU officials can’t decide what to do with the Ukraine War, continuing to buy 34% of its natural gas and 49% of liquefied natural gas from the Russian Federation. Whey would the EU support proxy war with the Kremlin when their economy is dependent on buying natural gas from the Kremlin? Zelensky would like the EU to stop doing business with Russia but it’s not practical for the EU. When it comes to the Ukraine War, the EU should not fund more proxy war, handing Zelensky billions of euros to keep fighting the Kremlin. Trump offered an off-ramp for Ukraine, ending the four years conflict with a reasonable compromise. Ukraine has no control of eastern Donbas and would greatly by ending the war. Everyday that goes by, Ukraine loses more sovereign territory to the Kremlin. Zelensky refuses to admit to the Ukrainian people that he’s lost sovereign land.
Zelensky complains that Russia is a terrorist state because it attacks Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure, despite rejecting all efforts to end the conflict. Everyday that goes by, Ukraine loses more sovereign land to the Kremlin, watching more carnage and destruction to Ukraine’s infrastructure. How’s that supposed to help Ukraine’s long-term economic development when the country is essentially bankrupt, living off generous loans from the EU. No one in the EU has told Zelensky to settle the conflict with the Kremlin but they have told him to stop attacking Russia’s oil infrastructure because of worldwide shortages and skyrocketing prices. ZeEEnsky acks clueless that the EU buys a substantial of in natural and liquefied gas from Moscow, despite the ongoing war. Yet Zelensky wasn the first to criticize Trump for trying to improve relations with the Kremlin.
Zelensky now sells Ukraine as the No. 1 leader in predator drone technology, recently trying to sell its service to the Arab Gulf State currently under attack from Iran. Zelensky likes jet-setting around the globe, asking for arms-and-cash to battle the Kremlin. What he doesn’t get is that Russia sells its natural and liquefied gas to Europe and other countries around the globe. China and India buy the lion’s share of Russia’s petroleum, whatever the conflict in Ukraine or elsewhere. Instead of settling the Ukraine War, Zelensky has enough cash to continue the low-level conflict into the indefinite future. Trump put pressure on Zelensky to make a deal with the Kremlin but Zelensky resisted because he doesn’t want to admit how much sovereign land he’s lost to the Kremlin. Trump has plenty of problems with Zelenky not signing onto his his realistic and practical peace plan.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
