Russia Increases Demands While Ukraine Becomes More Conciliatory
The news about Russia and Ukraine was busy this week. After a disastrous meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelensky, the United States paused weapons shipments and military intelligence to Ukraine. Zelensky posted a more conciliatory note on his X account committing to the peace process, pledging to sign the minerals deal and providing ideas for a cease-fire. Later in the week, he sent a similar letter directly to President Trump.
A resolute Republican ally of Ukraine, Senator Graham, in turn, responded on his account with more positive statements about Ukraine.
Senator Graham posted “Better days are ahead”, with reposting Zelensky’s X statement. In a follow-up statement yesterday, Senator Graham wrote, “It’s time to end the war between Russia and Ukraine justly and honorably, as President Trump is trying to do.”
Ukrainian and American negotiators are meeting in Saudi Arabia next week to begin peace talks, a good sign that Ukrainian and American relations could begin to thaw.
While Ukraine seems to be coming to the table, Russia is acting defiant. It has taken advantage of the American pause of weapons and intelligence to send 67 missiles and 194 strike and decoy drones targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The bombardment killed 25 and wounded over 40 people, including children, according to BBC News.
In an ABC News article, it was reported that Ukraine deployed French Mirage-2000 and F-16 fighter jets to intercept 34 of the missiles and 100 of the drones. Ten missiles didn’t make their intended targets, and 86 drones were lost from radar disruption. That means 23 missiles and 8 drones did hit a target.
In addition to the missile attack, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister in Qatar, declared, "Trump said that a decision on the deployment of peacekeeping forces would only be possible with the consent of both sides. Referring to us and Ukraine. Nobody has asked us about this.”
"This approach, which is being imposed by the Europeans, primarily France, but also the British, is aimed at what I just mentioned: to further fuel the conflict and to stop any attempts to calm it down."
In other words, Russia dismissed the use of European peacekeepers. In the interview, he also retained Russia’s demand to retain the entire four regions they annexed and dismissed the idea of a contact line between troops. He insisted on having a Ukraine that is less hostile to Russians and Russian speakers.
Today in the Oval Office, President Trump assured the Press that he knew Vladimir Putin wants peace more than the Ukrainians.
The conservative Wall Street Journal’s editorial board had a response to these recent events.
“If Mr. Putin wants peace, why would he object to a modest deployment that poses no threat to Russia? The answer is that his postwar goal is to leave Ukraine in a weakened state that is not aligned with the West and is ripe for his next imperial assault. He wants to own or dominate Ukraine, full stop.”
“Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to squeeze Volodymyr Zelensky. The last report is that U.S. officials want Ukraine’s President to commit to an immediate cease-fire when he signs the minerals-rights deal with the U.S.”
“So far in this one-sided peace process, Ukraine is supposed to make all the concessions, while Russia demands more rewards for its unprovoked invasion that has killed hundreds of thousands.”
The AMUkrPAC is committed to securing peace in Ukraine, but like Senator Graham says so eloquently, it must be done “justly and honorably”.