Sympathy for Zelensky.

 DESPERATION LEADS TO BAD DECISIONS

HE NEEDS TO MAKE A SERIOUS DECISION SOON

Watching the White House press conference and then Zelensky's interview with Bret Baier made it clear that Zelensky is under extreme stress. That is completely understandable, if you consider he is in a no win situation on many fronts.

What many don't understand about Friday's disaster is that Macron and Starmer came to Washington earlier in week to ask for U.S. backup if they put troops into Ukraine. Trump was very diplomatic, but said NO. It was clear that Trump was not going to link back-up support to the mineral deal. Zelensky came anyway with the plan to trade the mineral deal for support, it was discussed in private and Trump said NO. Then in front of the press, Zelensky thought it would be a good idea to take his plea to the American people on live television. He was cautioned before the press conference to not make it a public plea, but to behave like his counterparts earlier in the week to be diplomatic and accept the decision. The rest is history.

Zelensky for his own good and for the good of Ukraine, should consider moving on, either having elections or let parliament take over to conclude this Ukraine tragedy. It is clear that he cannot accept that this is not going to end as he would hope.

Trump rightfully is unwilling to commit to pledging U.S. military intervention in Ukraine in any circumstances, especially when linked to third parties possible orchestrating that need. 

Zelensky has dangerous factions all around him, if he should accept the loss of territory, his Bandera military will likely take him out. If he does not protect the interests of the UK and France he may have the same fate.

It would be interesting to know how Zelensky came to be the President of Ukraine. He campaigned against the U.S. backed Poroshenko on making peace with Russia. He was not the candidate of the U.S. CIA and state department, but was he the candidate of MI6 and other EU countries? Hopefully he will live long enough to write his memoirs. 

While many want to believe that this conflict is a stalemate and Russia cannot win. I would suspect Putin still considers that NATO may enter this conflict. It is by design that this conflict is ongoing 800 miles from the western border, the same miles that were too much for Napoleon and Hitler. Ukraine has been the buffer that has saved Russia in the past and they will go all out to preserve that buffer in the future. Russia will not accept NATO in Ukraine or EU troops in Ukraine, that is a reality that many still do not understand. Russia will not be defeated, except by all out nuclear war.

At present, there is no Ukraine peace deal, only the agreement to negotiate peace. It is clear that Zelensky does not want to negotiate any peace that will cause the loss of teritrity. The UK and France want to protect their neo-colonial hopes in Ukraine. The UK has a 100 year agreement and France has some sort of agreement, all have to do with their economic future, after the war.

I suspect that Trump wanted to see how many times Zelensky would agree to sell the same rights in an effort to lock in support.

So, it looks like any peace deal is on life-support. Russia and Trump are going to continue to negotiate many things, other than Ukraine. At present, the Ukraine crisis may very well no longer be part of those negotiations. It also seems impossible for the EU, UK or Zelinsky to even begin negotiations with Russia. That leaves only one option, and that is work with Trump on a negotiated settlement or continue the war that will likely be unconditional surrender by Ukraine in the future. 

So, Putin's proposal, before this war started, about a neutral, non aligned Ukraine was blown off by Biden and west and in effect told Putin to F+++ off, "he cannot tell them they cannot move NATO to the Russian border". I wonder, if only the Ukrainian people would have the option to vote on that idea, then, and in April 2022 in Turkey.

Trump is clear that he is not going to prolong the death and destruction by continuing military aid to Ukraine. There could be aid in the effort to sustain Ukraine during peace negotiations.

Zelensky, the UK and France and their "coalition of the willing" may want to fight on without the U.S., but it is unlikely they will pull the trigger without the U.S. being the major combatant. I would expect that without U.S. back-up they will not put troops in Ukraine. This resolution of back-up is just another NATO article 5 by another name.  

No one, of course, seems to consider Russia's view, EU peacekeepers in Ukraine are in fact, a de facto NATO army, it was a large part of the cause of this war and it will not be acceptable now.

The western press keeps up the narrative that Russia is about to collapse any day and they must keep up the war and in the same breath they claim Russia wants to move their borders to the Atlantic ocean, which is it.