Trump v Zelenskyy

by Cauf Skiviers, Cultural Inappropriation, ©2025 

(Mar. 2, 2025) — This week was a rare win for peace. I couldn’t care less how it came about. Frankly, I wish J.D. Vance and Zelenskyy had actually traded physical blows. I don’t care who’s in the wrong, or if Zelenskyy should’ve worn a suit.

I was pleased that this ‘debacle’ stunned the so-called ‘world leaders’ into taking peace seriously. Yet I’m disappointed by how deep we’ve sunk into this feminized society, where men speaking plainly and acting like men can spark such moral panic.

The polite world’s first reaction was predictable: the same old fear-hive triggered by their over-medicated minds. Then, next thing you know, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canada’s Justin Trudeau are yammering about a “coalition of the willing” to guarantee peace.

Gone are the girlboss militarism days of Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who insisted, “the way out of the conflict is for Russia to leave Ukraine.” She was shown the way out of office, so were Joe Biden and Boris Johnson — and with ‘the adult’ back in the room, the only way out is obvious: a ceasefire and a peace deal. And yes, that means dealing with Putin.

A Series of Underrated Circumstances

A ceasefire underwritten by the United States is far more valuable than its critics let on. No matter how often Zelenskyy insists Putin broke his word on the Minsk Accords, as Trump reminded him, Putin never broke a deal brokered by Trump. Let’s not underrate that. Or the fact Trump’s likely the only person who can credibly bring Putin to the table.

Apart from the obvious benefits for Ukraine, such ceasefire alone, if successful, might reignite the idea that the West can peel Russia away from China — which might come handy one day. The first stage of this arrangement, involving rare earth mineral rights, was ready to be announced Friday. It’s not flawless, but it would be the biggest breakthrough since the invasion began three years ago.

No one truly knows how much those mineral rights are worth, but Ukraine stands to lose them all to Russia anyway. Splitting the pot with the U.S. is a sensible plan. The agreement will likely need constant renegotiation, exposing Trump to considerable reputational risks if it falls apart. He’s putting skin in the game, which is nothing to sneer at.

I’m not convinced, though, it fully aligns U.S. and Ukrainian interests. Ukraine will always matter more to Russia than it does to America. Without firm security guarantees — and relying solely on commercial interests — Russia could simply seize those regions and maintain the status quo.

What Zelenskyy Really Means by ‘Security Guarantees’

When Zelenskyy demands “security guarantees,” he essentially wants two things: Western boots on the ground, preferentially NATO troops, if possible American. So far, France and the U.K. have stepped up, but Zelenskyy pointed out in the Oval Office that Europe “won’t be ready” without the U.S. backing them. In other words, they’ll only protect Ukraine if America protects them first.

Enter the hapless Macron-Starmer vaudeville act that courted Trump over the previous weeks. Russia, of course, won’t accept NATO troops in Ukraine unless the U.N. Security Council—where Moscow holds a veto—permits it. The plan was to secure Trump’s nod and then have Zelenskyy sign off on the minerals pact.

Which leads me to believe Zelenskyy never intended to sign the initial ceasefire agreement without security guarantees, given his claim that, in his experience, they “don’t work.”

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