ZELENSKY’S PREDICAMENT

First, it’s not a boxing match, let’s cut all the emotion and fan-cheering for one or the other. Let’s get to some facts.

Everyone in the world understands the moral right of Ukraine to want to keep their borders sovereign and keep fighting for their invaded country. Likewise, everyone understands Putin’s desire to re-establish a Soviet-style power empire with expanded borders to include the resource-rich Ukraine. Hence, his invasion of the aforementioned in 2022.

And no, it wasn’t because of Ukraine’s decades-long dream to join NATO; that’s what Putin tells his citizens on his TV stations (which he owns solely) every minute of the day. Pure brainwash!

Zelensky, for his part, has led a pretty decent effort in fighting Putin. Ukrainians are committed and fierce fighters.

The result?

Zelensky lost this war back in 1991, when the government of UKR desired to have a sovereign state (to break away from the USSR when it was a republic) so much so that they agreed to the most detrimental terms for its future existence. UKR gave up all of its nuclear arms to have a peaceful transition to a sovereign state In exchange for : 1) Soviet acceptance of its new nation and 2) protection from the UK and USA in case Russia invades. (The Budapest Agreement)

At that point, Ukraine lost every conflict, war and political argument it was ever going to have, no matter who is the head of the country. Zelensky or no Zelensky.

Did Putin respect UKR’s sovereignty? Of course not. He pined to have the bread basket back into his fold for decades. Has the UK and US protected UKR, as outlined in the Budapest agreement? Of course not.

Biden comes along and makes it easy as pie for Putin to do what he has always wanted. Putin took immediate opportunity to advance his land-grab cause. Did it cost him? Plenty! But to Russians war is nothing new and the Russian population, brainwashed as it always is and will be, fell in-line with the “Ukrainians are Nazis” mantra and “justification”.

Will they keep on warring until the last drop of blood and the last worthless ruble for mother Russia? Does the sun rise every day…?

So, we have 3 years of bloodshed after approximately 20% of UKR’s landmass lost to Putin. Every day he gains more and every week about 1000 soldiers die (collectively on both sides). Not to mention the financial aspect.

To what end …? What is the end goal for Ukraine and the western world?

Ukraine cannot and will not regain what it lost to Putin. Who is going to come to Ukraine’s side to get back what has been lost already?

…Britain? France? Any of the other NATO countries? The US?

The rhetorical question has a very simple answer: there is not one country on the face of the Earth that will risk World War III with a madman for a piece of Ukrainian real estate. Period. End of story. And this is precisely why not one leader of any country, nor one person in the world, has another solution for Ukraine other than the Trump deal.

What is the purpose of continuing to lose land mass to Putin when there is no feasible and safe way of getting it back?

And on whose dime …? Trump made it clear …the $$ cushion Biden provided ends now; $300B pissed away with nothing to show for cannot continue.

The fact that Zelensky cannot account for 1/2 of money the US taxpayers sent him is no shock. Eastern Europe is not the holy grail of democracy, decency and accountability. It’s a generationally accepted Soviet-era hierarchy structure; the people at the top get rich. It is accepted and expected.

There is nothing surprising here and it is NOT a Zelensky issue. It’s a Europe issue. It is the way Europe operated for centuries. Expecting accountability for the dollars you gifted Ukraine is as brilliant as expecting a cat to bark and a dog to miaow.

Not only did Ukraine lose the war in 1991, Biden brought on the Putin invasion in 2022. So did the feckless Europe. It was a perfect storm, and Putin took full advantage.

At this point… Zelensky has no cards, just as Trump tried to explain to him yesterday.

What about yesterday?

What you watched on your screens is 20% of what transpired in that oval office. You didn’t see the 80% that preceded it. You also didn’t see the weeks and weeks of back door negotiating with Zelensky which brought on plenty of frustration and name calling/insults. Not to mention something Trump will never forget… Zelensky’s active lobbying to get Biden reelected to keep the $$ flowing - justified but miscalculated action.

Secondly, Trump’s team was hosting Zelensky to sign a deal. That was the understanding. The showdown ensued not because of anything Zelensky said, but because he used the televised opportunity to buck and to do so publicly and in the oval office. Miscalculated chutzpah of a depleted frustrated leader.

Without any emotion or picking sides, here is the lay of the land:

… Zelensky has no ability to win this war nor regain the land he lost on his own.

… Zelensky has no ability to continue anything without the American taxpayer.

… Zelensky has no other option, nor idea, nor plan, from any other leader in the world, other than Trump to stop the bloodshed and the land loss.

… Zelensky knows that one of Putin’s conditions to stop the war is regime change for Ukraine. He knows that he has to go.

… for Zelensky, yesterday was not about signing any deals to end the war. It was his last attempt to keep himself at the helm of the country.

… if he signed a deal without security guarantees, he becomes a failure in the eyes of his people; essentially handing Putin his wish on a platter.

…. What is a security guarantee Zelensky wanted? It’s a guarantee to keep him President (which alienates Putin from the deal) and to spend billions more on UKR….

Essentially get the US to sign a 2nd failed Budapest agreement. Trump won’t have that.

The future?

There is only one future for Ukraine. Agree to Trump’s minerals deal because you have no other options. That deal offers Ukraine an implicit protection plan and the rebuilding of the country. There are no other protection plans for Ukraine. Europe will not fall out of favor with Trump. It cannot. It’s not about to set itself on a suicide path. To boot, as part of the deal with Putin, Zelensky will go.

In this conflict, Ukraine loses every time. There was never any other reality. By giving up its nuclear arsenal and having the horrible luck of the incapacitated incoherent Biden come to power in 2020 … Ukraine’s fate was sealed. And it has nothing to do with Zelensky or anyone else.

Is all this morally disappointing? Of course it is. But fighting a lost cause for the sake of morality without any possible resolution, nor ideas, by endlessly sacrificing lives…is insanity. And a very expensive insanity, at that.

American subsidy ended on January 20, 2025. There is no other subsidy. The only plan that will offer Ukraine any type of long-lasting protection is the one Trump has on the table.

Aggravating Trump further is not a good idea. But it will advance the regime change in Ukraine sooner rather than later.

The question before us today is not one of Ukraine‘s righteous fight or the moral duty to stand by the wronged. Or whether we like Zelensky or not. After the evaporation of billions and disappearance of territory, it boils down to practicality, pragmatism and saving mothers from losing their 18 year old children to an unwinnable cause.

Writer: Valerie Sobel