Staff Reports
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to be playing a high-stakes game of international poker, eagerly pressing President Joe Biden for a NATO membership ticket before the current administration packs its bags. His latest statement makes it clear that despite the escalating chaos in Europe, he believes it’s “premature” to engage with President Trump—who, amusingly, isn’t even residing in the White House yet. It seems Zelensky has his plans, and they don’t include waiting for the next round of cards to be dealt in January.
While reaching out to Biden, one has to wonder if Zelensky is under the impression that the current administration will somehow transform into a powerhouse of military support and actual seriousness, or if he’s just trying to butter him up enough to at least get a pat on the back. In Ukraine’s eyes, withholding NATO membership plans equates to dabbling with their own demise—though it’s debatable how effective that strategy is when Marxism 2.0 is on the rise in the West.
Zelensky negotiating Biden and Trump for help at the same time https://t.co/ML0tGzWCm4
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 10, 2024
Interestingly, while Zelensky laments the precarious balance between sovereignty and membership, he also holds discussions with Trump, apparently seeking a quiet resolve to the conflict on Ukraine’s eastern frontier. Amidst all this talk of alliances and troop deployments—thanks to proposed European boots on Ukrainian soil courtesy of French President Emmanuel Macron—it appears that the only thing rivaled by politics is irony. This plan has become the most fashionable idea in diplomatic circles, where empowering European forces to instigate peace is taking precedence over actual groundwork to halt the ongoing war.
Zelensky believes that Russia’s military is in disarray, crashing under the weight of approximately 700,000 casualties. However, a more pertinent question arises: does Zelensky think such devastating losses automatically lead to Putin’s resignation—rather than doubling down in pure defiance? Despite the Ukrainian president’s assessment of Moscow being on its last legs, the idea of Putin throwing in the towel may be wishful thinking more than an impending reality.
Meanwhile, Trump seems to be the magnet for peace talks, garnering Zelensky’s eager praise regarding their recent discussions. In a gesture that could only be described as a professional power play, Zelensky tweeted that “Putin fears only him and maybe China,” further suggesting that all it takes is some old-fashioned decisiveness to wrap this war up nicely. Such logic leads one to wonder if the President of Ukraine has been reading self-help books on negotiation or if he just knows the right buttons to push with America’s “bad boy” politician.
As discussions flood the media regarding Ukraine’s draft age, the underlying issue of effectively training and equipping current forces remains overshadowed, suggesting a lack of focus in the national strategy. With a military landscape fraught with uncertainty and political posturing, the question looms: Will NATO membership really save Ukraine—or merely fan the flames of a conflict ignited by old Cold War sentiments? Only time will tell, but for now, the strategic chessboard is sure to remain entertaining.
