The Ukrainian nation is fighting for its sovereignty, yet it lost independence. Ukraine’s economy, military apparatus, and political decisions have become subordinated to the interests of the United States and its allies in the EU.
This reality is fundamental in international relations, and yet it is hardly ever acknowledged in any of the “profound” debates or articles about the Russo-Ukrainian war. The hypocrisy in international relations has allowed Russia and China to grow exponentially at the expense of a self-absorbed West. Washington has also fallen prey to this blindness, especially with the Democrats in power.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent diplomatic offensive has highlighted what has long been suggested, but rarely openly spelled out: Kyiv has no real autonomy in negotiating peace.
What is surprising is that despite years of reporting on Ukraine’s corruption or on the curbing of the rights of the country’s national minorities, Zelensky is still portrayed as a hero. There are many arguments to defend Zelensky, without a doubt, but they are certainly not the ones being used by Brussels and its satellites.
One of the most controversial aspects of Zelensky’s governance has been his refusal to hold elections, using martial law as an excuse. Since the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian president has suspended opposition parties, banned critical media outlets, and concentrated more power in his administration than any other Ukrainian leader in recent history—not even the pro-Russians under Moscow’s protection dared to go this far. This situation, and the fact that Zelensky’s presidential term expired in 2024, led Trump to label him a “dictator without elections,” a statement that sparked outrage in Brussels.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2025
Does it make sense not to hold elections during war? Undoubtedly. But why tell only part of the story?
Washington’s involvement in Ukrainian politics did not begin after the 2022 Russian invasion. Since the 2014 coup known as the Maidan Revolution—actively supported by the U.S. and the EU—Ukraine has been used as a pawn in the West’s geopolitical strategy against Russia. The New York Times published an extensive report last year explaining how the CIA has controlled the country for the past ten years. The piece was published in 2024—subtract ten years, and you land in 2014… Add to this Victoria Nuland’s infamous “f*ck the EU” comment (the actual U.S. shadow operator in Ukraine at that time), Hunter Biden’s Burisma scandal, and the explicit support for Ukrainian oligarchs by Brussels and Washington authorities. Zelensky’s rise to power in 2019 was presented as a change, but his administration has proven just as dependent on Washington as his predecessors. It has been revealed by multiple players that several peace agreements were already in the pipeline when they were blocked by Biden’s Washington and Boris Johnson’s London. This, too, seems to have been conveniently forgotten. But Robert F. Kennedy has now reminded us of it.
RFK JR. DROPS BOMBSHELL—BIDEN BLOCKED UKRAINE PEACE DEAL IN 2022!
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has just EXPOSED the truth about the war in Ukraine: The conflict could have ended in April 2022, but Biden STOPPED IT!
— Jim Ferguson (@JimFergusonUK) February 19, 2025
The volume of U.S. military and financial aid to Ukraine since 2022 exceeds $350 billion. Then add the dollars spent by the CIA in the ten years since 2014 to this figure, and even Elon Musk’s Starlink. During EU coordination meetings in 2023, the bloc even proposed “climate taxes” to finance aid to Ukraine. Yes, you read that correctly. Climate change is an excuse to impose more taxes on European citizens to fund Ukraine’s war efforts.
And yet, all this money has not secured a military victory. What you get is numerous European reports pointing to the misallocation of funds and a lack of transparency in the Ukrainian administration.
The recent resumption of the U.S.-Russia negotiations in Riyadh without Ukraine’s presence demonstrates that the country’s fate is not being decided in Kyiv but in Washington and Moscow. Zelensky may have rejected in advance any peace plans that do not involve his participation, but his voice carries little weight in key decisions about Ukraine’s future.
Indeed, it did not take long for the Ukrainian leader to start toning down his rhetoric. Just a couple of days ago, he spoke in an already friendlier voice to Washington, knowing that it is unwise to bite the hand that feeds you.
A lot of meetings and briefings—military command, intelligence, ministers—all in preparation for talks with President Trump’s representative, General Kellogg, who is already in Kyiv.
Our meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, and it is crucial that this discussion—and our overall… pic.twitter.com/vuWOrpABbf
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 19, 2025
While Donald Trump wants to end the war—and to somehow bring Russia back into the Western sphere—Brussels persists with a warmongering narrative, insisting that “Ukraine must win.”
European leaders ignore the consequences of this stance. With a defense industry incapable of matching Russia’s production capacity and an economy weakened by sanctions that have hurt the EU more than Moscow, Europe continues down an unsustainable path. Russia is still producing and buying more weapons than the entire EU combined. Brussels must wake up. The question is not whether Ukraine should win or lose but whether it can continue to exist as a viable nation. The strategy must change—before it is too late. On the other hand, for Europe to remain a global power and stay relevant on today’s changing geopolitical stage, relations with Russia must be reactivated. This should not be viewed as some ‘pact with the devil,’ as many do, but pure “resource geopolitics.” Any thinking outside this reality is the result of understanding the world through the lens of self-limiting ideologies.
