LOS ANGELES.–Ukraine’s 46-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky keeps pushing for NATO membership, knowing the consequences to the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who now controls 20-25% of Ukraine sovereign territory, has warned the Western Alliance that adding Ukraine to NATO would cross a red line for Russia. Putin has taken more territory in the Donbas region of southeastern Ukraine, reinforcing its control over Donetsk and Luhansk. Zelensky could have settled the conflict without destroying Ukraine in March 2022 when Putin offered to end the invasion if he recognized the independence of Donetsk, Luhansk and Russian sovereignty over Crimea. Putin seized Crimea March 1, 2014 after a CIA-backed coup toppled the Kremlin backed Kiev government of Viktor Yanukovych. It all happened during the Obama administration with 81-year-old Joe Biden Vice President.
Former President Barack Obama and then Vice President Joe Biden started supplying arms and cash to Ukraine for an eventual war with the Kremlin. After eight years of arming Ukraine, Putin asked Biden over several months to work on new security arrangements for Ukraine. Biden ignored all of Putin’s requests prompting the Russian president to warn about a “special military operation” to stop Ukraine’s dangerous militarization. When Putin invaded Ukraine February 24, 2022, Biden was caught flat-footed, but, more importantly, provoked Putin to invade by ignoring his requests for talks for months. Biden called the invasion “unprovoked and unjustified,” something repeated by his dutiful 63-year-old Secretary of State Antony Blinken and 47-year-old National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Chinese President Xi Jinping said Biden provoked the Russian invasion.
Zelensky rejected all of Putin’s peace overtures under the premise that Putin must pull all his troops from Ukraine, leaving Donbas and returning the Crimean Peninsula. But once the coup happened Feb. 22, 2014, Putin had no choice but to protect his Sevastopol, Crimea Black Sea naval base. Whatever the reasons for the coup, there were consequences, including Russian fighting to protect its interest in Donbas. Zelensky and Biden demanded that Putin remove his forces from Ukraine or face a determined war with the U.S. and NATO supporting proxy war against the Russian Federation. Biden thought he would lead a worldwide coalition against Putin but found much of the developing world on Russia’s side. Because of Biden’s actions against Putin, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa [BRICS], added several new countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Iran.
Biden and Zelensky badly miscalculated Russian resolve to resist a determined U.S. and NATO war against the Kremlin. Zelensky has begged Biden and NATO to use his weapons to attack deep inside the Russian Federation, something Biden has resisted to avoid potentially WW III. Zelensky has also pleaded with NATO for membership, despite an active war precluding any nation from NATO membership because of risks of starting a world war. “The U.N. Secretary-General declined Ukraine invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland,” said Ukraine Foreign Ministry on the X platform. “He did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin. This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the U.N.’s reputation,” wrote the Foreign Ministry, expressing frustration with how the war has gone.
Zelensky has destroyed Ukraine’s infrastructure and bankrupted the Kiev government battling the Kremlin, when he could have accepted Putin’s peace overture in March 2022. Russia already had troops protecting its interests in Donbas and Crimea when Putin moved 200,000 troops into Ukraine Feb. 24, 2022. Zelensky decided with Biden’s support to go to war against the Kremlin, a serious military and political mistake. With the U.S. election pending Nov. 5, Zelensky knows if Trump wins, he’ll be forced to go to the peace table to negotiate an end to the war. Zelensky will be forced to trade land for peace, leaving Russia controlling key parts to Ukraine indefinitely. Zelensky fears a loss of financial and military support to continue the Ukraine War. Former President Donald Trump says he will settle the conflict with Putin and Zelensky as the first order of business.
Zelensky continues to lash out at the U.S. and U.N. over the fact that he received no commitment for NATO membership. Not only can Ukraine not afford its NATO dues, it cannot join NATO while it’s at war with the Kremlin. Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Zelensky that there must be more conditions met before Ukraine would be considered for NATO membership but cannot be engaged in an active war. Zelensky badly gambled and miscalculated going to war against the Kremlin. He was told the Russian military was near collapse by his closest advisers, clearly incompetent advice. Biden didn’t help matters by opting to fund proxy war against the Kremlin, ending decades of diplomacy, détente and arms control with Russia. Vice President Kamala Harris committed to keep the war going until Putin gets out of Ukraine.
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.
