125. On the 1379th Day at the War Front

Since I have some very good friends in Kyiv, two staying in the capital and rest outside the country in Poland and Germany, I was very happy to note about the Russia-US negotiations going on.

In fact, I wrote to all those friends a message that “Now very soon it will be time to go home.”

Surprisingly none of them took my message seriously and one of them replied back, “You are far from reality.” 

Unfortunately, she was right.

Now after Russian president’s recent threats that Russia was ready for war with Europe, it is almost clear that Ukraine crisis is no closer to resolution.

A five-hour meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the two sides were neither further nor closer to resolving the crisis in Ukraine. 

The two men from US had met the Ukrainian officials before meeting Putin to discuss revisions to the original 28-point peace plan. It was supposed to be in favour of Moscow.

Russians had leaked the 28-point wish list that Moscow had discussed with the US.

I read a media report today morning - a statement from Vladimir Putin, saying: “Russia does not intend to fight Europe, but if Europe starts, we are ready right now.”

“They are on the side of war,” Putin said of European powers.

Putin’s critics are now saying that his comments are aimed at driving a wedge between Washington and European capitals. 

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said, “What we have tried to do, and I think have made some progress, is figure out, what could the Ukrainians live with that gives them security guarantees for the future.” 

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has objected in particular to provisions in the 28-point plan that would have required Ukraine to surrender territory in the east that it currently controls, and impose limits on the size of its military. 

Zelenskyy has also demanded clear, enforceable security guarantees from the west to prevent a future Russian invasion.

The US provisions are really harsh. How US can force or even suggest Ukraine something that would erode Ukraine’s sovereignty?

Points like deep cuts to its armed forces, a ban on western military assistance, and the handover of Ukrainian-controlled territory are nonsensical.

Ukraine has every right to decide on these issues alone.

It was the third time the US has tried to pressure Ukraine. It seems it is again failing.

Remember Trump has once remarked that the Ukraine war was a “mess” and not an easy situation to resolve.

No one can disagree with him.