During the "sleepyhead" era, Zelenskyy enjoyed overwhelming support in the U.S. Congress, with lawmakers rising to applaud, briefly elevating his global profile.

He may still believe that the American people and Congress stand 100% behind him, supporting Ukraine’s ultimate victory.

But circumstances are ever-changing.

He encountered Trump.

On October 9, after a call with Putin, Trump directly announced the lifting of restrictions on Russian diesel exports.

Ukrainians found it difficult to believe what they had just heard…

Yesterday, Trump explicitly stated: “You can do anything you want to Russia, but don’t target refineries—because that’s a global issue—and he also wants to cause trouble for our farmers and ranchers.”

In effect, he was telling Zelenskyy not to antagonize Trump or the world at large.

Trump publicly took sides—with Putin—telling the media: “Ukraine should have a new president,” “Putin wants reconciliation… He is releasing vast quantities of oil into the world market. This is good news. Prices are extremely low.”

The new conservatives must be stunned; Europeans would struggle to trust their own ears.

Zelenskyy believed he could prevent Russian diesel from reaching the United States—but he did not anticipate this.

Behind him stands NATO and the EU, while Trump has long been at odds with Europe. This marks a genuine rift.

The roots of this divergence stretch back not to 2022, but to Boris Johnson and Victoria Nuland, who personally pressured Zelenskyy to reject a potential Ukraine-Russia agreement in Istanbul that year—had it been signed, over a million lives might have been spared.

Consider Johnson’s latest response to Trump: “The U.S. lifting sanctions on Russian fuel is nauseating. Blaming Ukraine for price spikes is plainly absurd—the real cause is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz… Ukrainians are fighting for their survival. The White House is determined to force American drivers to enrich Putin’s coffers—a strategy that won’t work, and I doubt it will significantly affect fuel prices. Only ending the war can restore Russian energy to global markets, under the name of an independent Ukraine.”

The choice no longer lies with Zelenskyy. It rests with Johnson, Professor Feng, and others like them. Beyond continuing to pour money and weapons into the endless quagmire of the Ukraine conflict, there appears to be no viable alternative—only more of the same.

The problem is that both money and oil are now severely scarce within the European Union.

Russia, long portrayed by the U.S. as a major power competitor to be isolated and weakened, is now being re-integrated into global trade through actions that seek to offset the consequences of a potential war with Iran.

From any angle, what is unfolding is dizzying—and almost unbelievable.

Iran, a middle-power nation seemingly battered for years by U.S. containment and economic warfare, has managed to compel a strategic shift in American policy.

This underscores Iran’s geopolitical reach and influence.

A sense of imperial overreach and decline is palpable—history is being witnessed by all.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1878714179791946/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.