LOS ANGELES.–Capturing new Ukrainian territory in the central Dnipropetrovsk, the Russian military continues in unrelenting advance to capture more Ukrainian territory before 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky figures out its better to engage in peace talks. Zelensky has taken the stubborn position of refusing to cede any sovereign land to Russia, despite told by President Donald Trump that he will have to trade land-for-peace. Hitting Ukraine with thousands of drones and missile over the last few weeks, Russian President Vladimir Putin means business when it comes to prosecuting the war. Zelensky pretends with the European Union [EU] that he seeks a ceasefire and peace settlement but only on his terms. Trump told Zelensky Feb. 28 in the Oval Office that he should cut his losses to end the Ukraine War or he would continue to pile up battlefield losses.
Once Trump declared his intent to stop funding proxy war with the Kremlin and restore normal diplomatic relations with Putin, Zelensky no longer considers Trump an ally. Zelensky wanted Trump to continue the Biden policy of proxy war with the Kremlin. Everyday now that Zelensky watches Ukraine take a beating from Russia, he asks the U.S. and EU for more arms-and-cash, lately asking for more Patriot missiles to defend Ukrainian air space. Well, how’s Trump supposed to restore normal diplomatic relations with Russia if he agrees to supply Ukraine with more Patriot Missiles? Zelensky would like nothing more than to sabotage Trump’s attempts to restore normal diplomatic relations with Russia. If Trump joins the EU’s new economic sanctions or supplies more weapons to Kiev, then he’ll undermine his attempt to reestablish normal diplomatic relations.
Zelensky wants more weapons from Trump but he says he doesn’t trust him to negotiate an equitable end to the Ukraine War. No one in the EU can deliver peace to Ukraine with a better deal than Trump. Zelensky wants to ruin Trump’s relationship with Putin, while Putin considers the EU and enemy of the Russian Federation. So, why would Zelensky not trust Trump to get him out of his current mess? Trump told him many times that he doesn’t have the cards to negotiate a hard bargain with Putin. Capturing the village of Dachne in Dnipropetrovsk gives Russian a foothold in Ukraine’s industrial mining territory. Ukrainian officials deny that Russian has captured another Ukrainian town, claiming its military was holding its own. Zelensky, while blaming Putin for recent drone and missile strikes, boasted today that he hit a Russian drone factory near Moscow.
So, the idea that Zelensky can complain about the ongoing war while he continues to attack deep inside the Russian Federation makes no sense. Asking the U.S. and EU for more weapons, Zelensky hopes to put more pressure on Putin to make more concessions before he joins any peace talks. Dnipropetrovsk is not one of territories Putin claims under Russian control, including Khrerson, Zaporizhizhia, Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. Whatever new territory Putin claims, it make the peace process with Zelensky all the more impossible because he’s not willing to trade land for peace. If Zelensky followed Trump’s formula, he would agree to cede Russia spoils of the over three-year war, including the Ukrainian territories captured. Zelensky refuses to enter any peace agreement because he’d be forced to admit to the Ukrainian people that he’s lost 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
Zelensky acts like he has universal support from the Ukrainian people but they don’t know the extent of losses to Moscow sustained over the last three years. “Our troops are holding their ground steadily,” said military expert Oleksiy Kopytko said. “Air defenses remain the top priority for protecting lives,” Zelensky said, concerned that Trump was withholding arms promised before from the Biden administration. Trump finds himself in a real dilemma giving Ukraine more arms while he tries to restore normal diplomatic relations with Moscow. Putin told Trump he appreciated everything he’s tried to do to broker a peace deal in Ukraine but there’s no cooperating partner with Zelensky. Zelensky and the EU insist that Putin pull all his forces out of Ukraine and cede all territory back to Zelensky. With peace plans like that, it’s no wonder nothing happens.
Trump should not blame Putin why more progress has not been made toward peace in Ukraine. Zelensky sabotaged Trump’s peace efforts by running to the EU and complaining that Trump isn’t concerned about European security. Zelensky insists that Putin plans to take for European countries in the near future, something he’s made up to justify the EU’s involvement in the war. He wants the EU to take over funding the war, supplying arms-and-cash to Ukraine since Trump has changed Biden’s policy. Trump still receives a lot pressure from war hawks in Congress to continue funding Ukraine. Trump knows that would all but kill his attempt to reset U.S.-Russian relations. It’s best Trump puts pressure on the EU to force Zelensky into realistic peace talks with Putin. With Zelensky refusing to cede Ukrainian territory to Russia, there’s no prospects to end the Ukraine War.
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 Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.R
