This is the best explanation I have heard so far of what happened in the White House with Zelenskyy last Friday. Howard Lutnik explains that there was a 40 minute meeting BEFORE the cameras turned on and then another 45 or so minutes with the cameras rolling. Lutnik itemizes the demands that VZ was making – hundreds of millions in reparations from Russia, security guarantees, all of the land back to pre-war boundaries etc. It is obvious that he has no intention of compromising in any way in order to obtain a peace settlement.

It is clear that VZ is not truly desiring a peaceful end to the war in his country, and he hasn’t come to terms with the fact that there is no way that Ukraine can win this war unless some other country does the fighting for them. He doesn’t care that it would probably start WWIII if the USA and/or NATO puts troops on the ground to oppose Russia.

What can be done? Exactly what President Trump is doing: cut off support to Ukraine, at least temporarily, and let VZ experience the results. Not just money, but arms and material support.