LOS ANGELES.–President Donald Trump, 78, announced today the he and 72-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to meet to negotiate an end to the Ukraine War. Speculation had been building since U.S. school teacher Marc Fogel was released from Russian jail with 67-year-old Trump envoy Steve Witkoff meeting with Putin facet-to-face to discuss prisoner swaps and end the Ukraine War. Former President Joe Biden’s Cold War policy with Russia was melting away under the new more inviting Trump presidency. Putin recognized quickly the abrupt change in policy from Trump, knowing that Biden had funded proxy war with the Kremlin. All that is about to change with Trump deciding to end the Ukraine war, but, more importantly, to restore U.S.-Russian relations, something wrecked by Biden. Trump confirmed that he and Putin had agreed to meet soon, most likely in Saudi Arabia.
Trump sent Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine Envoy Keith Kellogg to meet with Zelensky over the weekend at the Munich Security Conference. Trump said he “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately,” even though he had not met directly with Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky will meet with Trump’s delegation over the weekend to fill in any details but knows the negotiations are left to Trump and Putin. Zelensky wanted to join NATO but that’s been ruled out by Trump, reminding the Ukrainian president that he got his country into the mess with Russia and it’s up to Trump to get him out. Zelensky asked the EU while meeting in Davos, Switzerland two weeks ago for 200,000 peacekeeping troops, something so out-of-line it was not taken seriously by EU leaders.
EU leaders know that Trump is pushing for a settlement of the Ukraine War, not Zelensky’s wish list of returning lost territory or getting security guarantees. How Zelensky thinks the EU should pay untold billions of euros for Ukraine’s security is anyone’s guess. He’s certainly expects the U.S. to foot the bill for his bankrupt Kiev government and war with the Kremlin. Biden gave Zelensky a blank check to prosecute an unwinnable war with the Kremlin, only destroying Ukraine and losing more sovereign territory. Trump told Zelensky that he should have negotiated a deal with Putin in March 2022 when he offered to settle the conflict by having Ukraine recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea and independence of Donetsk and Luhansk. Now Zelensky has lost at least two more strategic regions in Kherson and Zaporizhizhia, both now under Russian control.
Trump emphasized to Putin the importance to sparing the death of so many young people in a wasteful, unnecessary war. Reminding Putin that his administration is not at war with the U.S. helps Putin realize there was no longer any point to the conflict. He reacted to Biden’s call to degrade the Russian economy and military to the point it could no longer wage war. Trump reassured Putin that he was reestablishing normal diplomatic relations, bound, by the fake news, to accuse Trump of more Russian collusion. “I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive and totally unnecessary DEATH AND DESTRUTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Democrats and the corrupt U.S. press have pushed for perpetual war with the Russian Federation.
Trump said he agreed completely with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who said at a NATO summit that there was no likelihood for Ukraine membership. “We’ll meet in Saudi Arabia,” Trump told the press about arrangements for a summit with Putin. Peskov said he agreed that the time had come to work together to end the Ukraine War. “No one wants peace more than Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote on X. Together with the U.S., we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace.” “As President Trump said, let’s get it done,” showing that Trump has Zelensky now agreeing to whatever peace agreement Trump comes up with Putin. Zelensky wants security guarantees but the best guarantee for the future of Ukraine is to find ways to get along with the Kremlin. Trump will no longer arm Ukraine over Kremlin objections.
Whatever security guarantees in any peace deal, Ukraine must pay for its own security, not expect the U.S. or EU to foot the bill. If he stops demanding NATO membership that would be a good start to understanding post-Ukraine War security. Ukraine must stop fantasizing about its relations with the EU and U.S. and understand its neutral position when it comes to the West and Russia. “Security guarantees without America are no security guarantees,” Zelensky, defeating the entire purpose behind ending the Ukraine War. Zelensky can’t expect the U.S. to threaten Russia with war if he can’t get along with his bigger and stronger neighbor. Security only comes from developing mutually beneficial relations, not from signing up hostile powers to do Ukraine’s bidding. Zelensky’s got the wrong idea from Biden about the U.S. role. U.S. has its own relations with Russia that must be respected.
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.
