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After watching the Trump, Zelenskyy, debacle for the umpteenth time I am still scratching my head at the risk taken by Zelenskyy. I’m sure he’s not stupid, but what was he thinking? I have heard reports that he was receiving bad advice from his team. I know he had met with members of the Democrat Party just hours before his meeting with Trump. I don’t know who advises him in Ukraine. But if he is taking advice from Dems. he is almost certainly being misled. (For example, this past Monday, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act was defeated in the Senate. The bill would have banned biological males from competing against biological females. Nearly 80% of Americans are in favor of such a ban. Still, EVERY Democrat Senator in attendance voted against it! They are absolutely terrible at reading a room). None of the above excuses Zelenskyy for his seemingly ignorant behavior. While don’t bite the hand that feeds you is an American idiom, I think it is fair to assume that some version surely exists all around the world. It is common sense.

The meeting in the Oval Office was scheduled to be a ceremonial meeting for the two leaders to sign a mineral sharing agreement. The agreement would have given U.S. corporations access to the natural resources owned by Ukraine. Profits from extracting them were to have been split 50/50 between the two parties. All of this was understood before Zelenskyy flew to the U.S. They met behind closed doors for nearly thirty minutes. Any disputes about the contents of the agreement, should have been aired before the Oval Office gathering in front of TV cameras. That President Zelenskyy chose this particular time to pressure Trump into committing the U.S. to future protection, not part of the original deal, shows a gross miscalculation of President Trump who summarily removed the Ukrainian President, and his delegation, from the White House. This was the third time Zelenskyy backed away from what was expected to be a completed deal.

I can sympathize with the Ukrainian’s predicament. For 3 years they have been fighting heroically, against massive odds, to keep Russia from taking away their independence. Were it not for the help of NATO countries, mostly from the U.S., the war would have ended in weeks, with the complete annexation of Ukraine into Russia. The West has provided hundreds of billions of dollars in cash, supplies, and military equipment, to help Ukraine repel its aggressors. There is still no end in sight. The minerals agreement would have effectively been the basis for a much needed, merciful, ceasefire.

Since he started his presidential campaign, Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants an end to the ongoing slaughter of Russians and Ukrainians. I have seen casualty reports from as few as 800,000 to as many as 2,000,000 soldiers and civilians, killed and wounded. Whether you believe the low number, or the high number, is irrelevant. What matters is that someone is taking the lead in stopping the hostilities. Heretofore, the Biden policy seems to have been to provide Ukraine with enough aid to allow them to hold the line. But not enough of what Ukraine claimed to need to win the war. So, the casualties continue to mount. And Zelenskyy reportedly told Great Britain that the end to the war is “still very, very, far away.” Trump finally said enough! He opened conversations with Russia. He called for Ukraine to sign the minerals deal which he said would further the opportunity for peace. Had Biden been a strong president, he could have led negotiations to end the conflict. He wasn’t and he didn’t. Now, like him or not, Trump is the only person who can facilitate the end of this brutal war.

Trump is first a businessman and a pragmatist. The American people have seen hundreds of billions of our tax dollars, much of which are not accounted for, spent for the defense of Ukraine. The mineral deal gives Americans the opportunity to recoup those dollars. It would also provide U.S. knowhow and technology to begin producing the valuable minerals held within Ukrainian borders. Our corporate expertise would provide a vehicle to expedite the rebuilding of the decimated Ukrainian homeland. Having said that, the West will be called on for billions of dollars of additional aid to help with the rebuild.

In fairness I think it is important for us to understand Ukraine’s side of the story. Over the last 11 years Russia has twice encroached on their homeland. In February of 2014 while Obama/Biden occupied the White House, Russia invaded Crimea. One month later it “annexed” the peninsula. Then in February of 2022, while Biden/Harris were in office, Russia invaded Ukraine again. The Russians currently occupy something north of 20% of Ukraine. Zelenskyy has been pleading for promises of security to be included in the minerals deal. One can understand that request because of the countless times Putin has broken promises made to Ukraine over the last 30 years. Something you have not heard before is that Zelenskyy may feel that his country has already paid a severe price to weaken, even embarrass Russia. Ukrainian war fighters have reduced Russia’s fighting forces, diminished its military hardware, and struck a blow to its psyche as viewed by the rest of the world. Noone would argue that has benefitted the West. Perhaps he believes that, given all of the above, his country has contributed at least its fair share in keeping Russian ambitions in check.

Nevertheless, Zelenskyy faces a cold, harsh, reality. He must know he can’t win this war. He is completely dependent on others, mostly the USA, for the tools needed to continue defending his country. Now he has pissed off the leader of the free world. If he decides to continue fighting, he will do so without help from the USA. He will certainly lose additional territory, and perhaps an entire generation of Ukrainians. He decided to go all in at the Oval Office. It proved to be a bad bet when Trump called his bluff. (Poker players know the punch-in-the-gut feeling experienced when they are caught trying to win with a subpar hand). It is time for him to swallow his pride in order to save the lives of his brave soldiers. It is the only way he will be able to hold onto the 80% of his country still in his hands. It is still true that 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing. He must, and he will, sign the minerals agreement as soon as possible. I believe he will do so in the coming days. He has exhausted all other viable options.

Thank you for taking the time to read my latest thoughts. I hope you found them worthy of your time. Bob