President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump
One reporter on Washington politics commented that what happened yesterday between Zelenskyy and Trump in the Oval Office was not unprecedented. This sort of arguing goes on all the time in negotiations. What was unprecedented was that this sort of arguing usually goes on behind closed doors, while this time in went on in full view before the world in the Oval Office. I suspect Putin is smiling today.
There’s been all kinds of blame going around and plenty of players in the U. S. are taking sides. PBS, the publicly-funded news and entertainment organization, published an article with the title, “Fact-checking Trump and Vance’s Attacks on Ukrainian President Zelenskyy,” (emphasis added) in which PBS purports to offer feedback on what Trump and Vance said to Zelenskyy that did not correspond to the facts. In point of fact, however, two of their “fact checks” were rather up to interpretation, and the last was nitpicking over the amount of money the U. S. has invested in Ukraine’s war against Russia. Apparently, PBS has taken their side on the matter.
I take the opposite side. It seems to me that Zelenskyy doesn’t have many cards to play in this round, as Trump attempted to explain. Victor Davis Hanson has written what I regard as a well thought-out column speaking to Zelenskyy’s failure to see the realities of his situation.
I believe that Trump truly wants peace in the Ukraine-Russia war. Yes, it was unfortunate that he identified Zelenskyy as a dictator because Ukraine didn’t hold elections, but that is because of the Ukrainian Constitution, and not because Zelenskyy prohibited elections. It was also unfortunate, and unreal, that Trump blamed Ukraine for starting the war, when it is quite obvious that Russia began the conflict with their land-grab of Ukrainian territory. Again, however, Victor Davis Hanson explains the situation in a commentary he recorded on the matter.
Trump is in an excellent position to play go-between between Putin and Zelenskyy in the effort to bring the war to an end. But Zelenskyy is acting as if Trump lost the election, still expecting the U. S., as we did under Biden, to support Ukraine with anti-Russian rhetoric and billions of dollars in aid, no questions asked. That’s not going to happen. Americans want to know, and have a right to know, that their aid is a good investment, and that money the U. S. has spent on Ukraine isn’t ending up in some Ukrainian oligarch’s pocket (happily, evidence recommends that isn’t happening). Trump wants peace. To achieve that goal, he cannot be seen to be Ukraine’s unquestioning ally in this war. Putin must regard Trump as someone who can bring a real peace plan to the table.
So, what happened on Saturday? Zelenskyy was invited to the White House to sign an economics package centered on U. S. rights to precious minerals in Ukraine. The minerals deal would have been good for Ukraine and good for the U. S. It would have put U. S. businesses in Ukraine, decreasing the likelihood that Russia would invade Ukraine again. Trump knew this. Zelenskyy must have known this. Yet, during the Oval Office discussion, Zelenskyy brought up his felt need for an agreement between the U. S. and Ukraine for security guarantees that would essentially align the U. S. and Ukraine against Russia. Trump doesn’t want any kind of security guarantees that place U. S. troops in Ukraine, or that isolates Russia further from the community of nations, because he feels a re-set on the U.S.’ s relationship with Russia is key to further isolating China, who he correctly identifies as the greater threat to the U. S. Zelenskyy, it seems, doesn’t want a deal that, at least in his mind, disregards Russia’s blame for the war and their aggression against Ukraine. Trump, it seems, isn’t interested in assigning blame. He’s right. Assigning blame, or making sure Russia is denigrated as an aggressor and Putin acknowledged as a blood-thirsty dictator isn’t going to help achieve peace, or keep peace once it’s achieved. Virtue signaling the world’s disdain for bad, bad Russia is not the greater good here, when hundreds of thousands continue to die in a war that could be stopped by recognizing realities.
Here are the realities:
- Ukraine is not going to be joining NATO. Russia doesn’t want that, but neither does the U. S. or Europe.
- Ukraine is not going to get back those territories taken by Russia in 2014 and in the war that started in 2022. Those areas are truly historically Russian, anyway.
- Europe is not going to cover the cost for Ukraine of an on-going war with Russia, nor provide the security guarantees Zelenskyy so desperately wants and needs from the West.
- Ukraine needs the U. S. The U. S. doesn’t need Ukraine.
- As such, Trump is not going to risk a serious conflict with Russia for Ukraine’s sake. Nor should he.
I’m sure Zelenskyy doesn’t like these realities. Why would he? Yet, those are the realities. The sooner Zelenskyy recognizes that, the sooner peace can be achieved.
Even Zelenskyy acknowledged that the minerals deal is what Trump says it will be – a first step in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security against an aggressive Russia. In an interview, the Ukrainian president said, “The deal on minerals is the first step to security guarantees. It’s meant for the peace, closer to peace. That’s why I’m here and I have, we have a tough situation. To understand it is to be in Ukraine.” So, why was he so adament in bringing up security guarantees to Trump during the Oval Office session? Those security guarantees were not part of this deal, but even Zelenskyy knows that having U. S. businesses in Ukraine is going to contribute to Ukraine’s security againt a Russian dictator who is not interested in going head-to-head with the U. S. in a major conflict? It really is baffling. As a result of Zelenskyy’s seeming pride of point, Trump cancelled the minerals deal signing and asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House, which he did without so much as a handshake from Trump. From there, he went to London, where he met with leaders of European countries, who were outspoken in their admiration for Zelenskyy and support for Ukraine. Is that significant for Ukraine’s cause in their war with Russia? See number 3 above.
Of course, the Democrats are blaming Trump for the breakdown in negotiations with Ukraine and Zelenskyy. But criticism of Trump by the Democrats is no longer taken seriously. Everyone knows that the Democrats criticize all-things-Trump because it’s Trump. If Trump miraculously healed a little girl of cancer, the Democrats would criticize him for failing to grow her hair back. I honestly believe that the Democrats are happy to place the best interest of the United States in jeopardy so long as doing so gives them the opportunity to bash Trump. The same is essentially true of the legacy media. Nobody cares.
What might explain Zelenskyy’s seemingly irrational behavior toward Trump in the Oval Office? Well, prior to his meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy met with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and other Dems. During that meeting, the Democrats apparently convinced Zelenskyy to reject the minerals deal and push back on Trump’s refusing to negotiate security guarantees at this time. Murphy wrote, “Just finished a meeting with President Zelensky here in Washington. He confirmed that the Ukrainian people will not support a fake peace agreement where Putin gets everything he wants and there are no security arrangements for Ukraine.” Zelenskyy foolishly played his part to perfection. Why did Democrats meet with Zelenskyy and convince him to reject the minerals deal and push back on Trump? In order to score political points against Trump, not to advance Ukraine’s cause in it’s war with Russia. The Dems, frankly, don’t give a rat’s patooty about Ukraine. What they care about is inciting opposition to Trump. That is all. If they can use Zelenskyy as their tool to succeed in that goal, they’re only too happy to do so. It is a shame that the President of Ukraine apparently believes that he has powerful allies in the Democrats in Washington who will be able to increase the potential for getting an immediate security agreement for Ukraine out of Trump. Democrats don’t have that power at this time. Again, did Zelenskyy think that Trump lost the election in November? Does he think the Democrats are still the power behind the throne? If so, he is a fool, and Ukraine deserves better.
Trump is right here. Zelenskyy blew it by demanding more than what Trump is willing to give. That’s not Trump’s problem. It’s Zelendskyy’s problem. Zelenskyy cannot expect Trump to be Ukraine’s go-to guy for billions of dollars in aid without approaching the table with serious intentions for peace. This war has gone on for far too long, and cost too many lives on both sides. The realities are not on Zelenskyy’s side. The sooner he comes to appreciate that, the better chance for peace there is. I hope and pray he comes to that realization soon.
Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.
Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful 
Could not have said it better! Today is my birthday and this is my gift. Excellent, clear thinking, as always. We’re overdue for lunch. Jackie
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Happy birthday, my friend! God’s blessings to you for many more healthy and happy years. And, yes, we need to have lunch soon.
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