Ukraine-Russia Parity is Harmful to Just Resolution of War

From Kyiv’s point of view, Russia’s war should end with honor, dignity and the preservation of Ukrainian sovereign territory. Russia is not entitled to anything simply because it is the perpetrator of this latest crime against Ukraine and humanity.

Consequently, the sooner President Donald J. Trump recognizes this, the sooner peace can return to Ukraine and tranquility to the region.

In reply to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s complaint that the White House is applying too much pressure to settle on Ukraine rather than Russia, the White House spokesperson called the Ukrainian president “unfair.” The White House had hit back at Zelenskyy, the leader of the besieged victim of Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy said Trump’s naive insistence that Ukraine should compromise was “not fair” ahead of trilateral talks in Geneva, which ended abruptly on Wednesday after just two hours.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that Trump believes the war has been “very unfair, not just for the Russians and Ukrainians who have lost their lives, but also for the American people and the American taxpayer who were footing the bill for this war effort before President Trump put a stop to it.”

Unfair for Ukrainians? Yes, the families, children and senior citizens are suffering every night as a result of incessant Russian air raids. Civilians are being killed by Russian cutthroats in their homes, churches, grocery stores, trains, and just on the street. And Leavitt dares to compare this brutality to Russians who have lost their lives. The Trump Administration’s immoral mixing of victims is simply wrong and will not hasten a just conclusion for Ukraine.

By the way, Americans are footing the bill for the military equipment that is being built and assembled in the United States thus providing pay checks for Americans.

In the past, I have written that the American side of the negotiators lacks a clear understanding and knowledge of the issues and bad blood between Ukraine and Russia. I believe this hampers of an outcome favorable to Ukraine. In a comment today, Zelenskyy dismissed what he described as Putin’s “historical shit,” saying he has no interest in debating the past and wants peace talks focused directly on ending the war. However, with the inclusion in the talks of Russian Vladimir Medinsky, chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission on Historical Education of Russia and an ultraconservative historian and a Putin aide, there is no fear that the past would be debated objectively. Medinsky is an official Russian government liar who fabricates and twists historical accounts to suit Moscow’s imperial goals. He authored a fictional account of Russian history to justify the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a blunt post on X, Zelenskyy described Russia’s historical arguments as a “delay tactic,” accusing Moscow of using them to stall meaningful negotiations. He argued the only issue worth discussing with Putin is how to bring the war to a swift and successful end. Zelenskyy said debates about history will not accomplish the goal of reaching peace, and will only prolong the process of reaching a resolution.

“I have been to Russia – to many cities. And I knew a lot of people there. He [Putin] has never been to Ukraine this many times. He was only in big cities. I went to small cities. From the northern part to the southern part. Everywhere. I know their mentality. That's why I don't want to lose time on all these things,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Despite Trump’s cheerleading ahead of his view of an imminent cessation of hostilities, senior European intelligence officials said today that they’re skeptical that negotiations will end Russia’s war in Ukraine this year. The heads of five European intelligence agencies told Reuters that Russia is not seeking a rapid end to the conflict and may instead be using negotiations to pursue sanctions relief, commercial opportunities and imperial captures.

The latest round of talks took place in Geneva, but intelligence officials described the process as “negotiation theater,” highlighting a widening strategic gap between European capitals and the White House over Moscow’s intentions. According to several intelligence chiefs, the Kremlin’s core goals remain unchanged: weakening Ukraine’s Western alignment, removing Zelenskyy, and transforming Ukraine into a captive nation and neutral buffer state. Officials emphasized that Moscow neither needs nor wants a quick peace, noting that Russia’s economy, though strained, is not on the verge of collapse. Russia has said it is ready for peace on its own terms, while officials in Moscow argue that European governments have repeatedly misjudged Russian strategy. It is also ready to commit countless Russian citizens from the European portion of its vast empire but more notably from the Asian section to the fight that will only lead to their untimely deaths.