Billionaire industrialist 51-year-old Tesla Motors and SpaceX CEO took all the heat from Ukraine calling for an end to Ukraine War, ceding the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian Federation in exchange for peace. Musk was told by Ukraine’s Gemran Amb. Andrij Melynk to “F-Off,” a crude way of telling Musk to butt out. But unlike Ukraine’s 44-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky or 79-year-old President Joe Biden, they can’t see the havoc the war wreaks on Ukraine and the world economy. IMF and World Bank economists said of all the things driving inflation, spiraling interest rates and recession, it’s the Ukraine War as the primary cause. Yet Biden and Zelensky continue a bloody proxy war against the Russia Federation, stating their goal of getting rid of 70-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin. No one other than Zelensky and Biden believes that will happen.
Now Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman asked both warring factions to end the conflict, ceding Crimea to the Russian Federaton in exchange for peace. Zelensky knows he had no control of Crimea before the Feb. 24 war started, yet, now, with unlimited U.S. cash-and-arms, he seeks to return Crimea to Kiev. Crimea was given to Ukraine in 1954 by Premier Nikita Khrushchev as a part of Ukraines allegiance as a Soviet satellite. Once that changed in 1991, with Ukraine declaring its independence, it was a matter of time before the Russian Federation wanted the strategic peninsula back. Then came the Feb. 22, 2014 CIA-backed coup that toppled the Kremlin-backed Kiev government of Viktor Yanukoych. Putin seized Crimea to protect his Sevastopol naval base, housing Russia’s warm water fleet. Kiev officials knew there would be consequences to the CIA-backed coup.
Since Putin annexed Crimea, the Russian-backed Peoples Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk also fought a bloody civil war to break off from the pro-Western Kiev government. Zelensky had no control over Donetsk and Luhans before the Feb. 24 war, but, since given unlimited U.S. cash-and-arms, he decided to reclaim those territories not controlled by the Kiev government. So in Musk and Ackman’s minds, why continue a destructive war, bombing Ukraine into the Stone Age, all to fight for territories Zelensky didn’t control before the war? “If war returns to the status quo ex-ante [sic] 2/24, Russia is not rewarded for its aggression and Ukraine can immediately begin to rebuild with support from the West,” Ackman posted on Twitter late Sunday. “Thousands of lives will be saved resources can be invested to rebuild Ukraine rather than in a war that will only lead to more destruction and death,” Ackman said.
Zelensky’s biggest objection to going to the peace table involves his loss of 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory since the war started Feb. 24. Zelensky has hidden from the U.S. and the world the staggering about out territory lost to Putin over the last eight months. Admitting that he lost so much territory would be a blow to Zelensky’s leadership, with Ukrainians questioning his presidency. Biden can’t ignore forever the calls coming from the corporate or financial world to end the Ukraine War. Biden’s done everything possible to deny that the Ukraine War has wreaked havoc on the U.S., U.K. and European Union. U.K. and EU have witnessed unprecedented drops in their currencies since the war began. Venture capitalist David Sacks, former PayPal executive, has also called for an end to the Ukraine War. Biden’s deception about the war’s effect on the world economy cannot be denied.
Sacks wants the White House to propose an armistice based on the existing condition before the Feb. 24 war, adding that Ukraine should promise not to join NATO> With Zelensky asking NATO for fast-track membership, Zelensky hasn’t given up on having NATO fight Ukraine’s battle with the Russian Federation. Business and finance geniuses put in their two cents, largely because they see no action by the Biden White House. “Ukraine has proven it can defend itself with NATO membership. Properly armed it will deter future aggression,” Ackman wrote. Ackman can’t see any benefit to the U.S., Ukraine, EU or world economy to continuing the Ukraine War. “If there is a viable path to peace, we should pursue it,” Ackman said, refuting the Biden White House approach to the war. Zelensky doesn’t want to give up the billions in U.S. aid, currently funding the Kiev government.
Zelensky won’t end the Ukraine War voluntarily. As long as the U.S. foots the bills for the Ukraine government and pays for the war, why would Zelensky voluntarily surrender all that cash? When the IMF and World Bank said this weekend that the Ukraine War was the primary cause of runaway inflation, slowed growth and spiraling interest rates, the Biden White House can no longer deny the damage it wreaks on the U.S. and world economy. Whatever the risks of WW III or nuclear war, the Ukraine war has no benefits to anyone, certainly not to anyone living in Ukraine. Watching the carnage and infrastructure destroyed, it’s hard to believe that Zelensky wants the war to go much longer. Collecting billions in U.S. cash makes it difficult for Zelensky to find any rationale to end the Ukraine War. Face-saving aside, Zelensky stands to lose billions in U.S. and foreign aid.
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.
