The Facts are Clear

What happens when a “deal term” is non-negotiable?  Most will naturally insist that is a deal killer. Negotiation requires give and take … seeking some middle ground.  Therefore, Ukraine’s insistence on being part of NATO should have been recognized long ago as a deal killer.  Plus, insisting on terms like these sours even the beginnings of any potential negotiation.  

This whole fiasco was brought to us by Ukraine’s interest in joining NATO.  If they had not committed that sin, this would have never escalated into the war it is today.  Zelenskyy’s real intent was clear—he would not agree to peace unless security guarantees were in place, implying that NATO must accept Ukraine.

If Ukraine joins NATO, the U.S. would be bound by NATO’s collective defense agreement—an attack on one is an attack on all.

In 1962, the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba to counter the US’s missile lead and to protect Cuba from the US. This led to the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tense confrontation between the US and the USSR that some feared would start World War III.  Ukraine joining NATO is the equivalent of placing that kind of weaponry on the Russian border, and they reacted like the US did under the Kennedy Administration where negotiations with Nikita Khrushchev achieved compromise and peace.  Which is precisely what the Trump Administration is trying to do through diplomacy. 

Most citizens of Ukraine despise Russia but, most of the eastern cities of Ukraine would rather be part of Russia. If these facts were faced early on, there might have been a chance to negotiate … but that opportunity was lost.

So, what you witnessed was a setup. Trump and JD Vance knew that the only way to achieve peace was to strategically align, at least on the surface, with Russia. Why? Because Russia would never sign a peace treaty if Ukraine were admitted into NATO.

Zelenskyy, Putin, and Trump all knew this. Zelenskyy, thinking he had Democratic support, believed he could make this bold move on live television. But Trump and Vance saw right through it and outmaneuvered him.

Zelensky has no cards to play, and Trump called his bluff.  He must give up this war while he has a chance of negotiating a good agreement.

Normally, these card games are played behind closed doors, and the results are cosmetically presented to the public.  It is rare indeed to have the game played in plain sight on national TV.  A tribute to the current administration’s commitment to transparency and truth.

We’d be a stronger country if we came together in support of what the President is trying to do and not try to tear him down at his every move.  He usually knows more than his opponent and he is the best negotiator we will get to serve as our president.   

You may not like the game, but the winner of this hand was clearly Trump and Vance.  I hope you can see that.  Trump just avoided World War III.

Sadly, all too many are blinded by their hate for his personality and party affiliation.  He wasn’t voted in for his decorum.  The majority of Americans, and the vast majority of those who are not party loyalists, voted him in for change.  It is too early to know if he will deliver.  Time will tell.