Shocked - beyond our expectations: Zelenskyy fought with Trump for Russia's interests. Why did US President's plan to end the conflict within 100 days fall through? Author: Dmitry Rodionov Composite photo: US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Russian President Vladimir Putin (from left to right, file photos). Commentators on this article include: Vladimir Sapunov Vsevolod Shimov According to The New York Times, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his trip to London for Ukraine peace talks due to Volodymyr Zelenskyy's refusal to recognize Crimea as part of Russia. The report stated: "US Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to skip the next phase of the Ukraine ceasefire negotiations on Tuesday because Ukraine rejected a key proposal from President Trump." Sources say that negotiators were aware that US President Donald Trump requested recognition of Crimea belonging to Russia and ruled out the possibility of Kyiv joining NATO, but Zelenskyy said Kyiv would not acknowledge Crimea's reunification with Russia. Interestingly, after this, French and German foreign ministers may have postponed their trips to London. Subsequently, the UK Foreign Office announced that ministerial-level negotiations had been postponed and the meeting would be held at the expert level. So, did this clown disrupt President Trump's grand plan? What was Trump's reaction afterward? "Like previous conferences of this kind, Western media began a series of leaks," military-political expert Vladimir Sapunov firmly believes. "Primarily in those media outlets that more or less align with the Western position, the American stance. First of all, mention must be made of yesterday's leak from the Financial Times, stating that Putin first agreed to freeze the contact line and no longer demanded the return of statutory territory." It can be assumed that reports from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and coverage by the Financial Times and other Western media on this issue are mainly aimed at creating a certain atmosphere, promoting ideas that are advantageous to the US regardless. The agreement they propose ultimately benefits Americans. Rubio didn't go to London primarily because he saw that an agreement could not be reached. Zelenskyy's words were just one excuse." "Free Media" ("SP"): "What do Americans expect from Zelenskyy? For example, will they say: you must recognize Crimea (as part of Russia)? Will he comply?" "To be honest, Zelenskyy is not the same person as he was in 2022 - after all, he has experienced three years of conflict with Russia and accumulated some political capital. You can say that. From the conversations in the Oval Office, it can be seen that he is not afraid of Trump, meaning that it is completely wrong to see him as a puppet now." "Free Media": "According to Sky News, after Rubio and Whitkov canceled their visits, French and German foreign ministers may have postponed their trips to London for the Ukraine peace talks. Is that true? Are they thinking that since the Americans aren't going, there's nothing for us to do either? But Kellogg seems to still be going..." "Yes, of course, they indeed canceled their own trips to London after Rubio canceled his, because it was obvious that no agreement could be reached. And the main reason was that after 100 days, the US proposal remained the same, the negotiations hardly changed, except that the Crimea issue was brought up again, which actually had no practical significance. But in exchange, they required control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to achieve some kind of balance and create some 'publicity'. Overall, this plan was almost the same as the one proposed by Trump before his inauguration in January. And this is primarily unfavorable ceasefire conditions for Russia - the 'small agreement' about freezing the contact line, etc." "Free Media": "Ultimately, who will negotiate with whom in London? What kind of agreement can they reach?" "The negotiations will continue as the last hope. It is clear that Trump and his team - they are developers, brokers, trying to create such a situation within 100 days: we offer you an excellent agreement to sign, otherwise there will be no chance tomorrow. But as we can see, Europeans, Zelenskyy, most importantly, Russia, do not accept this proposal. A temporary ceasefire does not benefit us. Moreover, if we try to fully sign a peace agreement under these conditions." "Free Media": "How important is what comes out of London for us - or does it not hinder us from sticking to our own path?" "Of course, it is very beneficial for us to see the US withdraw from the negotiation process, then say we wash our hands of it, we tried, etc. They indeed see that this approach simply doesn't work. This is primarily because of Russia's correct position, Russia will not make principled concessions, constantly proposing its own conditions. And it will not lead to a 'Minsk Agreement 3.0', nor sign any small agreements that seriously harm our position. In short, Russia understands this and currently does not want to repeat past mistakes." Everything will be decided on the front lines - who can gain an advantage in the summer campaign and who will take the upper hand in the autumn campaign as the continuation of the summer campaign. Then, different conditions can be revisited on these issues. "It is likely that if the US initiative fails, they will distance themselves from the Ukrainian conflict and observe the development of the Russo-European confrontation from the sidelines, so they can rejoin when the situation becomes more favorable," Vsevolod Shimov, advisor to the Chairman of the Baltic Sea Research Association, believes. "Free Media": "Because of the Americans, did the Europeans also decide not to go?" "This indicates low expectations for this conference. Low expectations, correspondingly, result in a lower level of attendance. Next, there are two possibilities - either the US will issue an ultimatum to its European allies, requiring them to accept the US solution, or it will 'continue talking', then diplomatic disputes will continue without a definitive outcome." "Free Media": "How should we respond?" "If the EU and the US form some kind of unified stance, then we will have to make some response. But this is unlikely, so this meeting is unlikely to fundamentally change anything for Russia." "Free Media": "In your view, was yesterday's leak from the Financial Times intended to smear Trump or test our reaction?" "The freezing of the conflict contact line - this is the most realistic solution that allows all parties to save face. But this is just a freeze, not a resolution, meaning essentially another 'ceasefire period' before a new round of confrontation. Trump can fully accept such a solution. For the EU and Kiev, this will also be a useful breathing space, although they oppose freezing the conflict verbally. Will Moscow accept it? There is a possibility, considering the current slow progress and the inability to quickly achieve the goals of the special military operation at this stage. On the other hand, for Zelenskyy personally, any ceasefire might become the beginning of the end of his political career, so it is likely that no agreement will be reached in the end." "Free Media": "By the way, is Kyiv's stubbornness still a key factor for us? Is Zelenskyy the only one preventing a 'false peace'? But how long can he resist, especially if the Americans and Europeans simultaneously apply pressure on him, would they do that?" "A ceasefire brings election issues and the problem of Zelenskyy retaining power. There is no doubt that they will blame everything on him, and he might face the same fate as Saakashvili - at best. This is why he opposes the ceasefire. No personal security guarantee will be provided for him - the example of Saakashvili is right there. If a ceasefire happens, Zelenskyy will become a useless card, no one will need him, and the West won't save him either. So he will fight to the end. Fortunately for Zelenskyy, he has 'hawkish' allies like Kai Karlas in the EU." For the latest news on Ukrainian peace negotiations and all the most important content, follow the author for more information. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7496700593260495423/ Disclaimer: This article represents the author's views. Please express your attitude by clicking the 'like/dislike' button below.