In the “olden days” when kings, emperors and princes met for occasions such as weddings and funerals, it was an opportunity for these “statesmen” to meet and talk out differences and/or make new alliances. The weddings and funerals of course weren’t for such as mere ordinary folk Mr Rogers of West Penwith, but VIPs such as the Pope.
Well, it appears that Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky met and had a conversation (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8gpdj704mo).
Excellent!
President Zelensky and Ukraine are in an extremely precarious position. The conflict with Russia quickly turned into from a blitzkrieg to a war of attrition. Wars or attrition continue until one side is no longer able to sustain hostilities due to it’s economy imploding. This happened in the Great War when Germany had to sue for terms.
The pro Russian Mr Trump likes to opine that Mr Zelensky doesn’t have the cards, and in that he is complicity right in that Mr Trump is the principal card dealer! If Mr Trump refuses to deal Mr Zelensky cards, Mr Zelensky has no other choice but to fold!
What Mr Trump has to realise is this: With the exception of “MAGA”’s cohorts, every other man and his dog on the planet knows this! This includes the majority of US citizens who will take an even dimmer view of Mr Trump’s actions than they currently do!
So: How does Mr Trump get out from this predicament and prevent Ukraine from being completely defeated by Russia?
Well the first thing is to offer Mr Zelensky something he craves greatly because it is ESSENTIAL to prevent further war! NATO membership after a formal peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine!
Mr Trump has already offered Mr Putin the Ukrainian territory he has. Mr Putin of course will demand that Ukraine be a neutral disarmed state ripe for a further invasion should Ukraine not put in place a puppet regime of Mr Putin’s choosing!
Thus it should be that Mr Trump should offer Mr Putin this deal: That Mr Putin gets to keep the territory that Russia has, along with no reparations by either belligerent to the other, plus all sanctions upon Russia lifted, BUT that following a formal peace treaty being ratified and formally recorded by the United Nations, Ukraine will be free to apply for NATO membership and EU membership should it wish!
Now, it MUST be understood that NATO membership and EU membership is NOT within Mr Trump’s ability to give! For a state to join NATO, every existing NATO member must agree! This is also the case with membership of the EU.
Now of course, in the case of NATO membership Hungary is likely to object. Turkey might as well. In the case of EU membership, Hungary will certainly object.
It should be made clear to Hungary and Turkey that failure to agree membership of NATO to Ukraine will result in no peace treaty and the continuation of the conflict in which Ukraine would be supported to the fullest degree by the western powers including the USA.
It might well be the case that faced with such a choice, Hungary will decide to leave NATO, thus allowing Ukraine to join.
It cannot be overstated that Ukraine cannot join NATO until a formal peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine is concluded.
It will of course at that point that Mr Trump will be able to insist that Canada and Europe’s NATO members must spend at least 2.5% of GDP on defence!
It is ONLY with NATO membership with NATO forces taking over the front line currently manned by Ukrainian troops that can guarantee that Russia will not restart the conflict.
The result will of course be a new “cold war” but then a “cold war” is better than the alternative – a “hot war” – which will almost certainly take place should Ukraine not be accorded NATO membership.
What Mr Trump and his “MAGA” acolytes HAVE to realise is this: That should Ukraine be left neutral and defenceless it will become a puppet state of Russia and that should Mr Trump do what his “MAGA” acolytes desire – have the USA quit NATO – Mr Putin WILL seek to increase Russia’s hegemonic space into the Baltic nations. That should a hot war break out in Europe it could likely go nuclear and if that happens, the USA will not be able to avoid the fallout! And by fallout we mean literally as well as figuratively!
Of course, more Mr Trump the most important aspect is this: If Hungary and/or Turkey refuse to agree to Ukraine joining NATO, the war will continue and Mr Trump will be able to put all the blame on the presidents of Hungary and/or Turkey!
This of course will be front and centre of Mr Trump’s mind – as it would with any other politicians – “Who can I blame if this does not succeed?”