Last week, in an extraordinary display, Ukraine’s President Zelensky sat in his designer military outfit and proceeded to lecture, interrupt, and disrespect America’s President, who was trying to broker peace and finance reconstruction. The spectacle was breathtaking. Zelensky is not thinking straight.
Why the meltdown? Why did Trump and Vance respond with indignance to demands for more money and security guarantees? Why did Zelensky renege on a clear way to finance his country’s reconstruction with mineral rights?
Some things are obvious, others not. Here are a few indisputable facts.
US taxpayers have given direct aid to Ukraine since Russia’s unprovoked annexation in February 2022 of between $200 and $350 billion, and indirect aid to NATO is far above that. Since 2014, the US has given Ukraine another $44.5 billion dollars in military aid.
By contrast, the US gives $870 million to our Pacific friend Taiwan, only three billion since 2014. So, Ukraine has drawn more than 100 times the aid Taiwan has in a decade.
The US, over the past 75 years, has given $22 trillion dollars to NATO, after financing the Allied WWII victory, which cost us 450,000 men. The US finances 16 percent of NATO’s budget, asking for two percent from the other 31 nations. Only 11 of them give that.
Since the Ukraine war’s start, which might have been prevented with diplomacy before 2014, for example, brokering a Panama-style lease between Ukraine and Russia for warmwater port rights, the US has been Ukraine’s real defender.
In total support, Americans have given Ukraine more than all 31 other NATO members combined, running down our stockpiles of Stinger anti-aircraft and Javelin anti-tank missiles, M77 towed howitzers, 144, 000 rounds of ammunition, drones, A3 and M113 APC vehicles, body arm, helmets, rifles, radar, foreign-made helicopters, and F-16 production line for Ukraine.
Beyond readiness issues for our military, this contribution to Ukraine cost Americans dearly. While half a trillion dollars over ten years may seem small in comparison to our 6.3 trillion annual budget and 37 trillion debt, it is big. It helped fuel Biden inflation, that his nine percent in 2022.
So, returning to Trump’s peace plan, what did Zelensky do? While at the White House, he aborted the mineral rights agreement that would have created a 50-50 fund with US investment to underwrite Ukraine’s reconstruction and put a US “tripwire” in Ukraine.
US participants wanted a more direct return for US i risk-taking, but Trump wanted peace. This deal would have accelerated peace talks with Russia when it has a hollowed out army, high casualties – as Ukraine – and needs Chinese resupply and North Korean soldiers. The time is now.
Ukraine had a chance to step up, take the initiative, and form a lasting bond with us, accelerating the peaceful closure of a devastating war. What did Zelensky have to lose? Almost nothing. His country cannot continue fighting, except in continued, death-dealing stalemate.
Zelensky has no realistic chance of regaining the 20 percent of Ukraine illegally taken by Russia. That portion is notably “Russified,” speaks Russian, history with Russia, ion places – even before war – favored Russia. If this seems somehow outrageous, not part of the narrative, Western history books will confirm it. Like other split nations, ethnic division continues and autocrats exploit them,
This war has no obvious way of ending short of more death, destruction, attrition, and risk of major escalation. Civilians pay the largest price in Ukraine. So, what is the answer?
Peace is hard but necessary. Russia will not get what it wants: the reassimilation of all Ukraine. Ukraine will not get recovery of the Russified east or NATO membership or US security guarantees.
For the US to secure Ukraine would, in effect, give Ukraine NATO membership, inviting a “hot war” with nuclear-armed Russia. For the US to walk away from Ukraine’s resources to refinance rebuilding would be folly. For NATO not to want this peace with Russia weakened is also folly.
What Trump-Vance want is to end the war, broker for Ukraine – incidentally, one of the most corrupt governments in the world – lasting peace, what they should also want, not pie in the sky but peace.
Instead, Zelensky – like a spoiled, demanding, out-of-touch child – threw a tantrum and demanded more US money and arms. He rudely interrupted, insulted, and chided Americans. Asked to thank America, he did not. Asked to apologize, he refused. Asked to contribute resources, he refused that too.
Bottom line? Russia is staggering, its army exhausted, low on everything from bullets to men. They are poised for peace but will keep fighting, with China and North Korea helping. Is peace a good idea? Yes. Possible? Yes. Will it last? Likely yes. Zelensky is not thinking straight. As his options vanish, he needs to rethink arrogance, not a good look. His countrymen need a leader, not a comedian.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC. Robert Charles has also just released an uplifting new book, “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024).
Clearly it is not in either Ukraine’s or Russia’s interest to continue this war but more importantly, what is in the best national security interest of the United States ?
We (and the Europeans) have been funding this war for three years.
Why ? For mineral rights ? Did we at the war’s beginning have national security reasons for supporting Ukraine over Russia ?
If those national security reasons no longer exist, maybe it’s time that we redirected those funds to plug some of our many budget holes at home.
While Biden gave the store away to Zelnskyy, Trump put an end of this woke idiot who has no respect obviously for America who fed him all this years. No respect for his attire either. The woke Communist News Network had apologists saying that Trump owes Zelenskyy an apology. How damn absurd!! Karl Rove says that this should’ve been done behind closed doors. That’s the problem with people like Rove. Washington did EVERYTHING behind closed doors. I rest my case. Time to expose the crap that’s happened in Washington.
Why is no one, except for Steve Bannon, talking about the Dem senators meeting with Zelensky at Blair House RIGHT BEFORE he met with Trump (they even made him 20 minutes late!), getting him all riled up and telling him not to sign and to hold out for security guarantees? Sen. Chris Murphy from Conn even tweeted about it!! Marco Rubio and President Trump need to have him, and Klobuchar and others who were there, censured for interfering with Presidential business!!! This is outrageous and cannot be overlooked! In their fervor just to have Trump look bad, they have doomed thousands more soldiers and civilians in Russia and Ukraine to death. This needs to get exposed, NOW, before they try it again with Taiwan, or the EU. Sounds like we are moving toward leaving NATO, and if the US does, Europe is DONE.
It was said that Zelenskyy met with some democrats before the meeting with Trump. If that’s true, you can blame the crats as it makes sense that they would have talked Zelenskyy out of making any kind of deal with Trump. It’s going to be four years of the crats resisting any thing Trump wants to accomplish.
Zelensky is playing Trump against the UK and Europe. Zelensky has no problem with a NAZI brigade in his military. Russia has said that the NAZI brigades mistreatment of Russian people in the Donetsk region of Ukraine and with NAZI’S I can see that happening. My opinion: CUT OFF Aid to Zelensky until he is ready to cooperate with a cease fire, PEACE talks, and a MINERAL DEAL! And second GET US OUT OF NATO. NATO was formed 79 years ago and Europe, UK ETC still can’t take care of Themselves? Another thing: Let the UK and Europe know that if they send troops to Ukraine they are on their own!
Zelenskyy did the same thing to Pres Biden.
This guy has mental problems!
Biden to a mental case and gave him great power.
He believes he is in charge, and does not comprehend the scope of the conflict.
Is anyone else upset with the behavior of our president and vice president? Many Republicans are. Angry outburst and hotheaded responses are not good negotiation tools on either side. I am tired of extreme positions on both the left AND the right.
Zelensky reminds me of the thug and gangster who was a leader of Kosovo move for independence or what ever it was called. I can’t remember his name but he was a darling of the western media , strutting around like Arafat, dripping in gold like a pimp. All he was interested in was a drug corridor to deliver to the rest of Europe I think he came back temporarily from possibly America backed by drug money , have no idea what happened to him. World according to Zelensky might not happen.
If all these NATO countries continue to support Zelensky, and commit to send in troops in an attempt to “defeat” Russia and continue to insult Trump and the USA, Trump should make it known that the US will not honor Article 5 of NATO, ( when one nation is attacked the USA would join in the fight), and tell them they are on their own, even if it morphs into a nuclear war.
RBC,
Excellent summation of the whole situation. Love the fact you put hard financial numbers to the total imbalance regarding Ukrainian aid versus our other foreign strategic security commitments around the world. That is something that is rarely done these days, as most public figures just try to gloss over the details of exactly how much taxpayer dollars and materials are expended in various zones of interest. More articles like this would be welcome.
From the moment Zelensky arrived at the White House last Friday, I could see his body language conveyed he was looking to be difficult. I just didn’t think he would choose to be as arrogant and frankly stupid as he actually turned out to be. Here was the POTUS offering a very viable strategy to help achieve a long-term, lasting peace for Ukraine and Zelensky decided to intentionally blow it all up by asking for things, for a third or fourth time by the way, that had already been ruled out by the United States over the last four to six weeks.
It’s pretty clear what Zelensky wants is for the money train to keep flowing non-stop, as he didn’t hang around Washington to cool off and plan his apology to the POTUS and the VP but rather took off within hours to fly to London for more checks from European leaders. Clearly Zelensky doesn’t want peace just yet, as badly as his country may need it, but is instead clinging to some fantasy that he can ultimately win and reclaim all the land Ukraine has lost since 2014. That’s just not realistic. No wonder the Ukrainian Ambassador had her head in her hands.
I looked at some fairly detailed satellite maps of Ukraine last week and the eastern third of the country looks like a demolition site from the 5,000- and 10,000-foot resolutions. Craters from artillery shells are everywhere and what used to be towns and small cities are basically piles of rubble. The rest of the eastern half of Ukraine is somewhat better but not by much.
Maybe someone should explain to Z what “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” means! Now, Europe is FINALLY stepping up to help THEIR neighbor [not ours!}.
Yes, this is the time to end this war. Zelensky is the wild card, and ignorant to boot. Putin would be reasonable, I think. Ukraine has no way to replace Zelensky, since he disbanded their legislature/ruling body and took over the country. HE is the one who needs to go…and the US democrats who met with him before his meeting with President Trump and VP Vance.
Zelensky was doing what the democrats he meet with ahead of time wanted him to do to try and make President Trump look bad. http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/03/democrat-sen-chris-murphy-who-met-zelensky-beforehand/
It’s apparent that Zelensky is a patriot of Ukraine and is very passionate for his country. However, i don’t think he sees the larger picture . He seems to want everything all at once. I believe Mr. Trump is creating momentum in favor of Ukraine and Mr. Zelensky doesn’t seem to be aware . Momentum is very important . Perhaps we could send someone to visit him to explain OUR position to him more clearly .
Does anyone know why the meeting was broadcast for everyone to see? None of the meetings I have ever heard of in the past between heads of states were broadcast live to the public.
Zelensky needs to take himself out of the picture, Easily done if he allows Ukraine to have it;s overdue elections! Then with a new and better President who will listen to reason we can have that war ended!