No, Mr. President, You Can’t Dictate Ukraine’s Destiny

In his misguided, pro-Russian style, President Donald J. Trump declared this week that despite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hopefulness ahead of their meeting in Florida tomorrow he has the final word on Ukraine’s peace plan.

While Zelenskyy said his 20-point peace plan is 90% ready, Trump poured cold water on his optimism by telling Politico that “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it. So we’ll see what he’s got,” Trump told Politico. 

His remarks were uttered a couple of days before his planned Sunday in-person meeting with Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian president is rightfully adamant about forgoing land cessation while including security guarantees during peace discussions to end the nearly four-year war with Russia. Trump and Russian führer Putin have an opposing opinion.

No, Mr. President, you don’t decide independent, sovereign Ukraine’s destiny. Only the Ukrainian nation is empowered to decide its future, if it will accede to NATO and the European Union, and if its national language will continue to be Ukrainian.

Not you, not Putin.

Throughout history, the Ukrainian nation has shown that it is the master of its land and country that it established and defended despite Moscow’s repeated, brutal, bloody military and political attempts to quash the establishment of a free, democratic Ukraine. For Ukraine, it is a matter of living, existing. For Russia, it’s a matter imprisoning or annihilating the Ukrainian nation and colonizing Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s 20-point draft proposal outlines a plan to have Russian forces withdraw from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv regions and build an $800 billion fund for post-war recovery efforts.

“Every meeting and every conversation brings us closer to the desired result,” Zelenskyy hopefully told the Kyiv Post, ahead of his planned face-to-face appointment with Trump.

At a State Department press conference on December 19, Secretary of State Marco Rubio demonstrated typical Americans’ deep lack of knowledge and understanding of the issues at stake. He said, “This is not just about ending a war this is about ending a war in a way that creates a mechanism and a way forward that will allow them to be independent and sovereign and never have another war again.”

First of all, independence and sovereignty pertain to Ukraine rather than Russia because Moscow is militarily seeking to liquidate Ukrainian independence and sovereignty, not the other way around.

Then, much to the surprise of the audience and even President Trump, Rubio  said, “ Suffice it to say – let me just put it to you this way – there can’t be a peace deal unless Ukraine agrees to it.  And there can’t be a peace deal, of course, unless Russia agrees to it.  But remember that.  Any peace deal is one that Ukraine has to agree to because they’re a combatant.  If Ukraine says, ‘We don’t agree to it,’ there won’t be peace. 

This contradicts what Trump has said because he feels that he has the sole authority to endorse peace in Ukraine.

Another detrimental nuance expressed by Rubio was the perception of parity. There is no difference between Russia and Ukraine, between aggressor-invader and victim, between evil and good in his mind. Rubio said, “A negotiated settlement requires two things: both sides to get something out of it, and both sides to give something.  And we’re trying to figure out what can Russia give, and what do they expect to get; what can Ukraine give and what can Ukraine expect to get.  In the end, the decision will be up to Ukraine and up to Russia.  It will not be up to the United States.” Again, not in line with Trump’s policies.

Russia, like Nazi Germany eight decades ago, does not deserve to get anything out of an end to the war that it started. Peace must be fair, just and secure for Ukraine while Russia is merely allowed to leave without additional losses.

While officials continue to discuss an end to the war, soldiers and innocent civilians are dying for peace, for their Ukraine.  At least five people were killed and 23 others injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, local authorities reported on December 26.

Russia launched 99 drones and one Iskander ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 73 drones. At least 26 drones and the missile made it through, striking 16 locations.

In Chernihiv Oblast, a drone struck a five-story residential building in the city of Chernihiv, killing an 80-year-old woman. Ten others, including three children, were injured, Governor Viacheslav Chaus said.

In Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person and injured six people over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one person was killed and four people suffered injuries in Russian strikes against the region, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.

In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and two were injured due to Russian strikes against the city of Kostiantynivka, one person was injured in a separate attack on Druzhkivka, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

In Kharkiv Oblast, a 63-year-old man was injured as a result of Russian strikes, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Zelenskyy said last night’s strikes on Kyiv, like strikes against other cities in the past, are “Russia’s answer to our peace efforts” as he says more pressure on Moscow is needed to secure an end to the war.

Zelenskyy said that two things are needed to stop the war: “pressure on Russia” and “sufficient, strong support for Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian capital was hit by a fresh wave of Russian missiles and drones, killing at least two people and injuring 32 others, according to the authorities.

Former US Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker seems to comprehend the issues. Volker said Friday, December 26, on Newsmax that Putin has no intention of agreeing to a genuine peace deal with Ukraine, noting that diplomatic efforts are ultimately about aligning Washington and Kyiv against what he described as Putin’s maximalist demands.

Volker said that renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine are unlikely to produce a lasting peace because Putin remains unwilling to compromise on his core objectives.

“First off, I think that there is a very good chance that this weekend will end with the United States and Ukraine in alignment about security guarantees, about a proposal on territory, about a proposal on a ceasefire and elections, all of these things that keep the US and Ukraine working together and that will be supported by European allies,” he said.

“The problem, as always, is Vladimir Putin and Russia. Putin doesn’t want any part of this. He wants all of Ukraine. He wants Ukraine to withdraw from Ukrainian territory. He wants to subjugate the government there. He will not agree to a ceasefire unless he's promised everything in advance. So this is really not about getting the peace deal, because Putin is never going to agree to a peace deal. This is about getting the U.S. and Ukraine in the right position together to present Putin with a united front and to continue working together for Ukraine’s security, prosperity, and democracy going forward. Even if Putin decides to continue the war,” he said.

For the sake of peace and security of the free world, Trump must understand and give in to Ukraine’s position about why it will gratefully accept American weapons and financial aid but not his harmful political advice.