How can the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe negotiate against an adversary whose position grows stronger every day? If they can’t beat the Russians on the battlefield, the Russians are certainly not going to allow them any victories at the negotiating table. Nevertheless, the losing team keeps regurgitating the same old bullshit. From Simplicius at simplicius76.substack.com:
The peace push charade continues on like a kind of low-rent traveling circus, setting down its ramshackle tents in some new backwater hole each night. This week it’s word that Trump is pushing Ukraine to acknowledge—at minimum—Crimea as Russian, with Ukraine reportedly ready to “de facto” give up all current Russian-controlled territories:
As part of the conflict settlement, Kiev is apparently ready to give up 20% of the territories, as long as this is considered recognition “de facto” and not “de jure,” the New York Post writes, citing an unnamed senior official of the American administration.
But the biggest reach came from reports that Trump intends to placate Kiev by proposing that US “takes control” of the Russian Zaporozhye nuclear reactor, turning it into a kind of neutral international zone. What do you say—does that move us closer or farther from a realistic settlement of the conflict?
In short, it’s about as absurd as Russian troops being allowed to take management of the Three Mile Island reactor in exchange. One wonders from where Kellogg and friends keep fishing out such cocked-up cockamamie claptrap. Of course, Zelensky reportedly won’t even go as far as that, which means the latest attempts are again another bust, as expected:
Some might muse whether it’s all still part of a choreographed act between the Russian and US sides, in slowly exposing Zelensky as the problem and chief obstacle to peace, as was hypothesized about Putin’s surprise Easter ceasefire offer. In that framework, Zelensky would have fallen into the trap with his new statements reported today that not only will Ukraine not recognize Crimea, but that Ukraine is “open to negotiations with Russia” only after a ceasefire is reached.
