LOS ANGELES (OC).–Closing in on a peace deal hasn’t been fun-and-games for the Trump White House with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff walking on a razor’s edge with Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky and the European Union trying to save face at every turn. Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have all but stood on their heads to accomdate Zelensky, knowing exactly what would fly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky should be jumping for joy about ending the nearly four-year war that’s only brought death and destruction to Ukraine plus as loss of sovereign territory. Yet Zelensky, not Putin, has been the one throwing up obstacles to peace, all over the control over the Eastern Donbas region including Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin offered Zelensky to end the war in March 2022 if he recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk plus Russian sovereignty over Crimea. Zelensky opted for war instead.
Zelensky has been a thorn in Trump’s side since the Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting where Trump told Zelensky “he didn’t have the cards.” Zelensky went storming out of the meeting, after bickering with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. Now, 10 months later, Zelensky still presents obstacles to peace by bickering over control of Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin has put his cards on the table to get a lasting peace, not a temporary ceasefire. He stated clearly that he owes it to the people of Donetsk and Luhansk to keep control of those territories. Peoples Republic of Donetsk Leader Denis Pushilin wants no part of Zelensky’s Kiev government, seeking to operate independently with Russian support. Zelensky hasn’t controlled Eastern Donbas since before the 2014 Maiden Revolution. Putin seized Crimea March 1, 2014 and controlled Eastern Donbas..
After meeting in Berlin over the weekend, Witkoff and Kushner were within 90% of a deal but there’s still that 10% with Zelensky throwing up a monkey wrench. EU officials like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz doesn’t help matters by catering to Zelensky’s need for revenge against Putin. Zelensky has lost the Ukraine War over the last four years and no amount of U.S., EU and NATO weapons can change that outcome. Zelensky refuses to admit that he lost some 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign land battling the Kremlin over the last four years. Now he wants to end the conflict with Putin coming out empty handed. Putin remained clear that he needs to have control over Eastern Donbas to sign on to any peace deal. Zelensky knows this but still holds out on agreeing to a deal.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia wants a comprehensive peace, not a temporary ceasefire. If Ukraine wants a temporary “momentary, unsustainable solutions, we are unlikely to be ready to participate,” Peskov said, suggesting that Ukraine must be prepared to give Russian control over Eastern Donbas. “We want peace—we don’t want a truce that would give Ukraine a respite and prepare for the continuation of the war,” Peskov told reporters. “We want to stop this war, acive our goals, secure our interests and guarantee peace in Europe for the future,” said Peskov. If that doesn’t state clearly the Russian position then what does? Only Zelensky throws more obstacles in the path of peace, making unrealistic demands for someone that lost so much sovereign territory over the last four years. Zelensky doesn’t want to admit that he lost to the Kremlin.
Zelensky’s main concern is not about surrendering Eastern Donbas to Russia but finding a face-saving way out of the conflict. Zelensky fears a coup d’etat when the Ukrainian people know how much he’s lost to Russia. As long as he keeps the war going, Zelensky can pretend he hasn’t lost the war. But he’s getting mixed messages from the EU, saying he must remain firm with Putin, while, at the same time, saying the EU can support the war much longer. Zelensky hoped the EU would seize frozen Russian assets to pay for his government and the war. Opposition in the EU to confiscating Russian assets makes clear that the EU doesn’t have the cash to continue battling the Kremlin. Putin wants peace, as Peskov says, just not on Zelensky’s terms-and-conditions. Zelensky knows that he can’t keep fighting Trump’s peace plans much longer, with time running out.
Zelensky will have to fish-or-cut-bait soon, no longer able to stall the inevitable of letting Trump cut a workable peace deal with Putin. Trump knows Pustin’s basic demands for a lasting peace, the same position he took in March 2022 when he offered to end the war if Zelensky recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk and Russian sovereignty over Crimea. So where do things stand now with Zelensky making more demands and Putin stating clearly the minimum requirements for peace. EU officials should have told Zelensky long ago that he must accept Trump’s peace plan, not expecting the EU to pay for his war. Zelensky says he feels optimistic but he’s been Trump’s biggest obstacle to peace. French President Emmanuel Marcon, Merz and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer must tell Zelensky to sign on to Trump’s peace plan or face losing U.K. support.
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.
