This is the Donbas region of Ukraine. It’s the area Trump and Putin discussed letting Putin have in exchange for peace. This in the absence of Ukraine’s President Zelensky.
Why would anyone reward an invader by ceding to him the land he invaded? (See appeasement, WWII.) Doesn’t that just encourage more such invasions? And how dare two nations’ leaders presume to discuss/plan the future of an unrepresented third nation? (Trump, of course, is thinking about the Nobel Peace Prize while Putin just wants to keep the land he has invaded.)
Perhaps let Putin keep Crimea, seized in a 2014 invasion, but don’t give him an inch of land seized in his current invasion. Insist he withdraw his troops completely from Ukrainian land or suffer crippling, suffocating, isolating financial and trade sanctions. In addition, he must return all the kidnapped Ukrainian children (said by some to have been taken to replace the population lost to the war in Ukraine).
Do not, under any circumstances, rely on the United States for assistance of any kind — money, munitions, etc., because Trump has already shown he will withdraw such support on a whim. (He will, of course, consider making concessions that give him a share of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals).
It will be interesting to see what happens in Washington today. Pres. Zelensky has come with seven other European leaders* for talks with Trump. There will be no repetition of February’s debacle.
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*Chancellor Frederich Merz of Germany, President Emmanuel Macron of France, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, President Alexander Stubb of Finland, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
When Russia invaded Ukraine I read that the Eastern portions of Ukraine were majority pro-Russian and largely spoke Russian, quite a different language from Ukrainian. I thought, they ought to have an election over the issue. It’s never so simple, is it? No, the real issue is the form of government, representative democracy or dictatorship. That’s what really at stake and what is motivating Ukrainians to risk death for their form of government . The Cold War is still on, I’m not sure it ever ended.
Ukraine was once a part of the Russian federation so yes, much of the population in the east speaks Russian. But as far as I know, they are quite content being part of a democratic Ukraine. I agree, the Cold War has never really ended, and I’m not sure it ever will.
johnthecook…Ukraine should hold on to every inch of their Country and furthermore demand that Russia relinquish their control of Crimea, NOW!
I couldn’t agree more. But I’m afraid so much time has passed that the issue of Crimea, invaded in 2014, may have become moot. Certainly if Zelensky wants to include it in the current talks, I’d be all for it.
don’t give an inch
Agree!