Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky discuss peace at the Vatican

When he was running for a second term as president, Donald Trump boasted that he would end the Ukraine-Russia was on “Day One.” Obviously, that was hyperbole. But Trump has made significant progress in at least bringing the two sides together for talks, even while Putin continues to prove that he cannot be trusted.

In the beginning of this war, when Russia invaded Ukraine without provocation, Ukraine fought bravely and surprisingly kept Russia at bay, though Russia and everyone else thought it would be a cake walk to take what they wanted from Ukraine and have done with it. It’s been no cake-walk, but Russia did eventually succeed in taking control of much of eastern Ukraine, where much of the population was sympathetic toward Russia, at least prior to the invasion. Using the same justification as Hitler did in conquering the Sudetenland, Putin claimed the people of the Donbas region of Ukraine are culturally Russian and wanted to be a part of Russia. He’s lost their sympathy, but is determined to maintain control over the region. There is no question that, at this point, Russia has the upper hand.

At first, Trump seemed negative, or even hostile, toward Zelensky, and Zelensky returned the favor. The Oval Office confrontation was abysmal. Zelensky needs to understand that Trump is not Biden, and that the Democrats who goaded him into confronting Trump are not his allies. They are against Trump, not for Zelensky and Ukraine. The Dems with whom he met prior to the Oval Office meeting with Trump used him like a tool in hopes of creating bad press for Trump. Hope of a peace treaty seemed distant, especially since Putin had started bombing Ukraine again, including Kiev. I read that Trump says he is disappointed in Putin. Okay. Fine. He can be disappointed. I just hope he’s not surprised. That would be more worrying.

Then Pope Francis died, and the world gathered for his funeral on April 26. While at the Vatican, and moments before the funeral was to begin, Trump and Zelensky met in a brief, impromptu sit down. The scene was like in a movie, with priests hurrying to find portable armchairs for the two leaders and setting them down in the middle of a St. Peter’s Basilica side hall, with the coat of arms of Pope St. John Paul the Great displayed on the floor nearby.

It seems that things are moving again. The Trump administration as put together a proposal for peace. Based on what has been leaked or discerned (the White House has not publicized the details), the peace proposal includes the following:

President Zelensky may remain in office, and is not required to hold free elections anytime soon.

Ukraine may continue to build its army without limits, contrary to Russia’s demands.

Ukraine may keep all territory it has not already lost to Russia.

Europe and the United States may continue aiding Ukraine militarily.

Russia will keep Crimea and other territories in eastern Ukraine it has already occupied that, let’s be honest, Russia is never going to give back and Ukraine is in no position to win back.

Ukraine will be banned from joining NATO, which wasn’t going to happen, anyway.

The proposal may also include removing sanctions against Russia, that have proved ineffective, anyway.

A critical new development is the signing of a minerals deal between Ukraine and the United States that should result in greater U. S. investment in Ukraine and greater ties between the two countries. The hope is that, with the U. S. invested in Ukraine and U. S. companies and personnel, including possibly military personnel, present in Ukraine, Russia will be less likely to carry out military strikes or further invasions. Peace through economics!

All of this is good news. The great news will be if Russia and Ukraine both agree to the peace deal. We pray they do. If they do, then Donald Trump deserves the credit and a Nobel Peace Prize for bringing these two foes together and hammering out a realistic and perhaps even sustainable peace. He will not get that credit. The American legacy media will see to it that he does not get the credit and, as Alex Berenson says in his opinion piece linked above, “the Kremlin will freeze over before King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden puts that medal around Trump’s neck.” Zelensky and Putin will get the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee would rather give their prize to the murderous, thuggish dictator who started the whole blasted thing than give it to Donald Trump. Ah, well.

Ronald Reagan famously quipped, “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.”

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.