The irony of our geopolitical era is that Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy find themselves on the same side of history. Trump, ever the dealmaker and bound by his campaign promise to end the Russian-Ukrainian war, is maneuvering to shape a negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia. A ceasefire, logically, is the prerequisite for any such talks. And Zelenskyy, recognizing the strategic potential in such a move, has readily agreed to the idea—not because it signals Ukraine’s capitulation, but because it opens a rare window of opportunity.
A ceasefire, should it happen, would freeze the parties in their current positions. Russia, though battered by staggering losses, remains on the offensive in Ukraine. A ceasefire would halt this offensive in its tracks.
Meanwhile, it would also cement Ukraine’s newfound leverage, given the curious fact of Ukrainian troops operating in Russian territories like the Kursk region. An immediate ceasefire would mean an end to Russian aggression and a bizarre new status quo: Ukrainian forces, technically, occupying Russian soil.
The real question is: would Putin agree to such terms? The answer, of course, is a resounding no. For Putin, this is existential. Capitulating to a ceasefire now would expose his regime’s weakness and effectively hand Trump and Zelenskyy the moral high ground. Instead, Putin will likely escalate his military campaign, doubling down on his aggression to undermine Trump’s credibility as a peacemaker and trying to rehabilitate himself for the strategic defeat in Syria.
And therein lies the absurdity: Trump and Zelenskyy could, in this scenario, emerge as unlikely doves of peace, pushing for dialogue and restraint, while Putin morphs into the global pariah of aggression—a latter-day Osama bin Laden, not in ideology, but in his rejection of peace and international norms.
For Trump, this presents a unique moment. A Putin who refuses peace underlines Russia’s growing irrelevance as a responsible actor. It paves the way for tougher measures—a true economic blockade, the declaration of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, and a reinvigorated Western front against authoritarianism.
In this mad, mad world, peace is no longer just an abstract hope—it’s a chess move, laden with strategic implications. And as the pieces shift, one thing becomes clear: Putin’s desperation may hasten his fall, while Ukraine’s resilience secures its place at the heart of a new global order.
Glory to Ukraine!
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