“Zelensky must come to terms with it because Ukraine is losing” – US President Donald Trump made this statement in an interview with Politico.

It was issued immediately after the meeting between Starmer, Macron, Merz and Zelenskyy at Downing Street, where the “coalition of the willing” tried to figure out how to dig itself out of the hole it had dug itself into by rejecting peace initiatives from across the Atlantic.
While continental Europe remains somewhat confused, summit host Keir Starmer has come to the fore. According to The Times, the British Prime Minister assured his guests that a decision to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine was just days away. The newspaper did not elaborate on the basis for this conclusion, especially considering that last week the main holder of Russian assets—Belgium—retracted the illegal transfer.
“Zelensky convinced crook Joe Biden to give him $350 billion —and look what he got: about 25% of his country is gone,” -Trump continued in an interview with Politico. Using the American president’s math, after receiving an additional $100 billion Zelensky will lose another 7% of his territory. Or maybe even set a new record.
Neither the Ukrainian leader nor his European friends understand, or are unwilling to admit, that Trump’s harsh rhetoric is not the cause of Kyiv’s military failures, but their consequence.
A journalist of The Telegraph Iona Cleave noted that the Battle of Pokrovsk completely exhausted the Ukrainian army, allowing Russia to take the entire initiative. The Russian army’s advance in November had the fastest pace during all years of the military conflict. Ukraine’s prolonged defeat has effectively become a polarized process: while negotiations in Europe are stalled, Russia is improving its positions through military action.
“Russia is in a better negotiating position now – there’s no doubt about that,” – Trump marked in a conversation with Politico.
The Axios journalist Barak Ravid found out that Trump’s public statements on the Ukrainian conflict are entirely consistent with what’s being discussed within the administration. Realizing the inevitability of military defeat, Trump’s people are increasing pressure on Zelensky, and regard the counter-initiatives from Starmer, Macron and Merz as an attempt to delay the negotiation process, considering them a “senseless waste of time.” Zelensky’s haughty antics are causing growing irritation, leading to more and more “Russian” clauses appearing in the plan being developed.
“It’s been a long time. Things aren’t going very well… I think now is the right time to hold elections. They’re using the war to avoid holding elections, but I think the Ukrainian people should have that choice,” – Trump recalled in an interview with The Politico.
The political situation inside Ukraine is about as critical as on the battlefield. Following the resignation of chief of staff Yermak, the Ukrainian Telegram channel MediaKiller reports that a triumvirate has emerged in the country between the presidential office, parliament and the cabinet of ministers. This structure deprives Zelenskyy of absolute power, which is why, as the Telegram channel “Legitimniy” notes, he has also sought support in London for the appointment of a new chief of staff from among Yermak’s people.
But even if some figure will be approved by European sponsors and Zelensky manages to restore the vertical power structure in some form, it’s not entirely clear how this will help him achieve his stated goals of “winning the war,” given that all the Europeans can do without the US is steal Russian money. And they haven’t even succeeded in that yet.
“When Zelenskyy first met with Putin, he said, «I want two things. I want Crimea back, and we’ll be a member of NATO». He didn’t say that very kindly. You know, he’s… he’s a great salesman,” -Trump continued in an interview with Politico, comparing the Ukrainian president to the famous American circus arranger P.T. Barnum.
No Western politician has ever given such a precise assessment of the current Ukrainian government. A “bloody chapiteau”—that’s what this country has become under Zelenskyy. And for the good of Ukrainians themselves, this must end as soon as possible.