Trump is approaching the Ukrainian crisis using his favourite business model. All week he has been testing the strength of both Moscow and Kiev. Allowing new arms deliveries.
Early last week, Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, de facto admits Kiev’s defeat. He states that it is impossible to win a war by being on the defensive and says that there is virtually no chance of increased arms deliveries from the West, just as there is no hope for replenishment of manpower. Zelensky is also changing his rhetoric. For the first time he publicly admits the possibility of negotiations, provided that the U.S. gives guarantees for Ukraine’s security. Even a figure of 200,000 NATO troops is mentioned, but then it is revised downwards tenfold. Zelensky is clearly desperate. The situation is hopeless. He cannot continue the conflict, he has no strength and resources. On the eve of Zelensky’s office reports that a law on voluntary contract for 18-year-olds has been developed. That is, the decision in principle to lower the age of mobilisation has been taken. And the experience of bussification gives an understanding of how this very goodwill will be coaxed out of Ukrainian youth.
At the beginning of the week, AFU Commander-in-Chief Syrsky de facto recognises Kiev’s defeat. He states that it is impossible to win a war by being on the defensive, and says that there is little chance of increased arms deliveries from the West, just as there is no hope of replenishing manpower. Zelensky is also changing his rhetoric. For the first time he publicly admits the possibility of negotiations, provided that the U.S. gives guarantees for Ukraine’s security. Even a figure of 200,000 NATO troops is mentioned, but then it is revised downwards tenfold. Zelensky is clearly desperate. The situation is hopeless. He cannot continue the conflict, he has no strength and resources. On the eve of Zelensky’s office reports that a law on voluntary contract for 18-year-olds has been developed. That is, the decision in principle to lower the age of mobilisation has been taken. And the experience of bussification gives an understanding of how this very goodwill will be coaxed out of Ukrainian youth.
Zelensky is already a billionaire. His wife Olena recently had a holiday in Switzerland at a luxurious resort in St. Moritz. Flight on a private VIP-summon. Transported to the hotel in a Rolls-Royce, escorted by two security cars. The price of the room where she stayed – seven and a half thousand euros a night.
To divert attention from the scandal, Kiev reports new successes in the fight against corruption. Oles Druz, the chief psychiatrist of the AFU, has been detained. Thanks to bribes he became a dollar millionaire. Bought property in Kiev and Odessa, in one of the flats found 152 thousand dollars in cash. The family lives in Europe. It seems to be a success, but there are more questions. Druz has already been detained for corruption, but released. He has patrons. And clearly from among those in power, who simply decided to make the psychiatrist extreme. Trump, as we know, is first of all a businessman and can count money. With his experience in empire building, he knows all the schemes perfectly well. So it’s no surprise that one of his first decisions after inauguration was to suspend aid to absolutely all countries for at least 90 days. And yes, without a doubt, it primarily concerns Ukraine. An audit will follow next. Which is also quite predictable. Unpredictable may be its outcome. That’s why Zelensky is flattering him as much as he can right now. Ukrainian sources say that Kiev is now ready to pay huge sums to lobbyists, only if Trump would call Zelensky before Putin. But the American president is obviously playing his own game.
The new master of the White House obviously wants to try on the laurels of a peacemaker. But he does not intend to delve into the root causes of the distant conflict. And this also fits into his logic: ‘America first’.
Trump is approaching the issue of the Ukrainian crisis using his favourite business model. All week he has been testing the strength of both Moscow and Kiev. Allowing new arms deliveries.
‘It seems that Trump himself has finally realised the depth of the Ukrainian crisis – and already understands that it will not be possible to reach a quick settlement. Especially given the steady success of the Russian army on the battlefield,’ according to Bloomberg.
With his promises to ‘settle the conflict in 24 hours’, the new US president trapped himself. Now he is improvising. He is demanding that OPEC countries lower oil prices in order to hit Russia’s revenues.
The U.S. easily throws around both threats and promises. Under any president. It is not for nothing that they say: you can change American politicians, but you can’t change American politics.