LOS ANGELES (OC).–Finnish President Alexander Stubb said ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey that Ukraine was winning the leverage in the Russia-Ukraine war, something not surprising since Finland fears a Russian invasion more than anyone in the EU. Stubb cites Ukraine’s missile and drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, which, in itself, has actually increase Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attacks on Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky doesn’t ask for a workable peace plan but asks the U.S. and NATO for more Patriot missiles to combat Russia’s unbridled air assault that continues to destroy infrastructure and kill civilians. Í think that [all NATO leaders] understand why Ukrain is doing this,” Stubb said, regarding its strategy of hitting Russia hard. “Everyone believes that wer need to continue to increase the pressure” Stubbs said.
When Stubbs talks about pressure he’s encouraging Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia to pressure Putin to make concessions on the peace table. But Putin has made it clear that peace can only come from Russian and Ukraiinian peacemakers working out an acceptable peace deal, one that acknowledges Ukraineian losses in over four years of war. Stubb knows that Zelensky has lost some 20% to 25% of Ukraine’s best sovereign territory. Stubbs knows that President Donald Trump has been trying to broker a end to Ukraine War for years, having a good idea what Putin needs to end the war. Putin won’t be pressure out of Ukraine by NATO’s demands or, for that matter, Zelensky’s demands to leave Ukrainian territory. Putin controls a sizable portion of Ukrainian land and expect Zelensky to makej concessions to end the conflict, including trading-land-for-peace.
Stubbs would like to believe that NATO is winning the war against Russia but the territorial losses have piled up on Zelensky, saying the exact opposite. No matter how you cut it, Zelensky has taken a beating over the last four years and no that he’s takes his arms-and-cash from the EU he thinks he can defeat the Russian Federation. “We are in a fairly good place when it comes to Ukraine because everyone, including our American friends, sees that Ukraine is right now on top of the battlefield,” Stubb sait. “That has change the strategic thinking also of those who are trying to mediate peace,” in a direct slap to Trump. Trump’s peace plans have been worked out very carefully with Putin so that it would work in stopping the war. NATO plan for Ukraine amounts to perpetual war, not a big victory for Ukraine anytime now or in the distant future.
Stubbs thinks that because Ukraine can retaliate with missile and drone strikes it means that Ukraine is in a stronger position with the Kremlin. Like other eastern European states, they operate with a fear of the Kremlin seizing more EU land. Stubb subscribesto the belief that if Zelensky negotiates with Putin, it would spell more aggressions from Putin. Putin has never said he wants a war with NATO or seeks any land from the EU. Yet if you listen to Stubb, you’d think that Zelensky was winning the war, when, in fact, he’s lost some 20%-25% of Ukraine’s best sovereign territory. More missile and drone strike on Russia only makes negotiations more difficult, especially for Trump who has worked tirelessly since taking office to end the war. Stubb backs the EU position that making any land concessions to Putin would increase Russian aggression in the future.
Stubb said Ukraine is in the best position ever to resist Moscow’s attempt to settle the conflict by seizing more Ukrainian land. “Ukraine is in a better position, militarily, politically and financially that they have been at any time in this war. That is why we are seeing a log of uneasy activity in Russia right now,” Stubb said, misstating key facts related to the over four-year war. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, former head of the European Commission, said the time has come to end the EU’s financial commitment of endless war to Ukraine. Zelensky looks content to get billions in euros to fight what looks like a perpetual war at the EU’s expense. So when Stubb says Ukraine is in the best position to prevail against Russia he’s clearly exaggerating Ukraine’s position. Brussels can no longer afford to keep shelling cash-and-arms out for Ukraine.
Trump has a far more realistic plan for ending the Ukraine War that the EU or NATO, mired in the false belief that Zelensky can vanquish the Russian Federation. Putin has made clear he wants no part of war with NATO or seizing EU land. He wants Ukraine to stop provoking Russia with endless drone and missile strikes thanks to arms-and-cash from the EU. Stubb shows he’s an EU company many, repeating the same talking points as French Pressident Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Brussels has no plan for ending the the war only throwing good money after bad money funneling more arms-and-cash to Zelensky. Only Trump has a realistic plan for ending the war. Zelensky won’t end the war unless the EU tells him they’ve run out of cash and to find a way to compromise with Putin.
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.
