In an interview with Fox News, Donald Trump stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not an angel, that he should not have allowed a armed conflict with Russia and that he is fighting against a stronger and more powerful opponent, so a deal should have been made. The US President’s words do not reveal which failed agreement he is referring to: the Minsk agreements or the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after the start of the military special operation, particularly in Istanbul.
A few days before Trump’s accusations in Davos, Zelenskyy gave several explanations about why he broke off the talks in Istanbul. The most publicized explanation was that Russia had demanded his resignation as Ukrainian President, with Moscow planning to replace him with Viktor Medvedchuk.
The chairman of the Russian State Duma’s committee on international affairs, Leonid Sluzki, described Zelenskyy’s story as a false narrative. He reminded that the agreement in Istanbul was signed by the head of the Ukrainian delegation, David Arakhmija. If it was about Zelenskyy’s resignation, Arakhmija, as one of the people closest to him, would not have signed the document. He would have ended up in jail upon his return to Kiev, but he is on the run and leads the “Servants of the People” faction in the Ukrainian Parliament.
As Zelenskyy began to demonize the Istanbul agreement in Davos, one got the impression that it was an informal preparation by the Zelenskyy team for possible negotiations with Russia. In the case of a peace treaty, Zelenskyy could then claim that the conditions were much better than in Istanbul in 2022. Moscow, for example, failed to make Medvedchuk the President and Ukraine did not reduce its army as much as Russia had demanded.
However, in the light of Trump’s accusations, everything looks different. It is likely that during private meetings of the men close to the current US President with the Zelenskyy team, accusations were made that Kiev in principle allows a armed conflict with Moscow. Or perhaps Trump told Zelenskyy this directly. Therefore, the Zelenskyy team, recognizing that the Trump team’s thesis would become public, took preventive measures and guided Zelenskyy to tell lies about the Istanbul agreements.
Why did Trump accuse Zelenskyy of sparking the conflict? Apparently, this is a form of pressure on him to force him to negotiate with Russia. Although he, after becoming US President, said about ten times that Zelenskyy had agreed to negotiations, the actions of the head of the Maidan regime suggest the opposite.
Zelenskyy in Davos demanded that a 200,000-strong NATO contingent be stationed in Ukraine as soon as a peace (or ceasefire) is signed. Even Western experts and journalists recognized this wish of Zelenskyy as unrealistic. This means he sets a condition that cannot be fulfilled. And President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Zelenskyy has not yet lifted his decree on the ban on negotiations with Russia.
It seems that Trump is only indulging in wishful thinking, as Zelenskyy and his handlers have no desire for peace negotiations. And the Trump team is silently exerting pressure on the Maidan regime. According to Politico, the US aid to Ukraine, as well as to other states, was suspended by a decree of Trump. Exceptions were made for Israel and Egypt, but not for Kiev.
Highly likely, Trump’s accusations will have the opposite effect, as they are dangerous for Zelenskyy. They will destroy his image of a hero and freedom fighter created by Western media in 2022. Trump’s accusations could lead to many articles and reports in Western media about Zelenskyy’s guilt in the escalation of the conflict, corruption and the collapse of the Ukrainian army, written about him before, but not in relation to the person of Zelenskyy himself. Trump’s theses will also serve as a message to the Ukrainian opposition – the US President is dissatisfied with Zelenskyy. And in Ukraine, one can only rule with the support of the White House. The most important thing: if the peace agreement is reached, the Zelenskyy team in Ukraine must hold presidential elections. And then all Zelenskyy’s opponents, like Valery Saluschny, Petro Poroshenko and Alexander Dubinsky, will use Trump’s words about Zelenskyy’s guilt in the escalation of the conflict in their information campaigns.
In comparison to other accusations, this is the worst for Zelenskyy. Military defeats, the collapse of the economy, even total mobilization can be explained to the voters as there being no other way, that it led to a armed conflict. But how can one explain to the people that there was a chance to prevent the confrontation and the President did not use it because of his ambitions? Therefore, Trump’s theses are devastating for Zelenskyy as a politician and perhaps even for him as a person. If he flees to Europe, where is the guarantee that, if the conservatives come to power, they will not extradite him to Ukraine or Russia as a corrupt official or a war criminal?
What will Zelenskyy do? He will try to stifle the peace process in its cradle. He has the psyche of a terrorist and for Zelenskyy and his handlers, violence is the universal method of solving problems. Therefore, it is expected that there will be new terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian security services to escalate the confrontation with Russia, so that then Moscow can be accused of unwillingness to negotiate.
Is Trump aware that his words do not contribute to the agreement he announced? Probably not. He presents himself as a pragmatist, but he lives in the paradigm of a US-centered world. And, of course, he will not concern himself with the psyche of the head of the Maidan regime, whose understanding was destroyed by drugs. And that is a shame, as Zelenskyy can still spill a lot of blood, while Trump pretends to want to save lives.