At the end of the year, in December, time seems to compress. Events stack on top of one another, barely having begun before they give rise to new ones, which in turn fruitlessly trigger yet more. Only recently Trump promised to give Ukraine “Tomahawks” to force Russia to end the war — and the very next moment came the call with Putin, the refusal to provide the missiles, pressure on Zelensky, and the publication by the United States — under Russia’s dictation — of 28 “idiotic” points of a so-called peace plan. Under pressure from Ukraine and Europe, the list was reduced to 19–20 points, which have still not been released.
Meanwhile, Trump’s “boys” — Witkoff and Kushner — went to Moscow, and the results of that trip also remained behind closed doors. And all of this happened bypassing both Ukraine and Europe. The cynicism of the statements and explanations is off the charts.
Trump says that Putin “wants peace,” even as he continues invading, occupying Ukrainian land, destroying cities and villages, killing civilians. Moreover — Putler now claims he wants not only the entire Donetsk region but also “Novorossiya,” openly declaring ambitions to seize not only all of Donetsk but also the Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and Odesa regions. One wonders whether he won’t choke on them.
Sensing the quiet sympathy of the Trump administration, he has grown so brazen that he openly threatens Europe with a future war — although in essence he has been waging this hybrid war for years: through assassinations, explosions, killings, poisonings, drones, and by buying off all manner of marginal figures, traitors, and leaders of far-right conservative parties across the Old World.
And what does America say to this? In the United States, the revised Trump national security plan has been approved, in which Russia’s aggression is labeled as “the Ukrainian war,” and America’s main adversary is defined not as Russia but as China. With Russia, meanwhile, Washington plans economic cooperation — and even urges Europe to do the same.
As for Europe and NATO, the shift to the back burner is obvious: no guarantees of support or cooperation that America had offered for years and decades. By 2027, the European Union must be fully militarily prepared. It is as if we are looking at reality through a distorted mirror.
In previous articles I have already written: Trump cannot stand Zelensky, does not like Ukraine or Ukrainians. This hostility stretches back to his prior term. He constantly repeats that “Ukraine has no cards” or “no trump in this game” — this bloody, deadly game (by the way, the Ukrainian word for “trump card” is literally trump in English).
Well then, give us those cards — the promised Tomahawks, missiles, aircraft, artillery — at least no less than Biden did. And we will have our own “trump cards.” Instead, he displays affection for Russia and Putin. It may not even be affection — rather fear. Putler clearly has substantial kompromat on him from long ago, or simply “bought” his loyalty. Recall how, even during his first term, Trump dreamed of bringing Russia back into the G8 and even involving it in NATO. His behavior now is bending in the same direction. One well-known Western politician said: “Trump is selling out Ukraine and betraying Europe.” The events of recent weeks confirm this.
What should Ukraine do, abandoned so untimely by its biggest and most reliable friend? Cry into a handkerchief? No. We must do our work. Become stronger, more resilient, more united. Yes, our economic resources are limited — but our organizational, intellectual, and innovative capacities are unlimited. And they will produce results — in the military, in the rear, in politics.
European politicians advise Zelensky not to sign any discriminatory or compromising documents. We have already learned from the Budapest Memorandum. No faith in words, “understandings,” or assurances. Only in actions.
Once, Ukraine made a fatal mistake by giving up its nuclear weapons — a decision that doomed it to years of danger. The leaders of that time bear an indelible share of responsibility. Had we possessed such weapons today, no one would have dared set foot on Ukrainian soil. But even this is a lesson.
Our task now is to endure and survive this stage, regardless of pressure. Trump is not eternal. And within the United States, criticism and resistance to his domestic and foreign policy are growing. Sober-minded politicians, congressmen, lawmakers, judges, civil activists are sounding the alarm: democracy is in danger. Americans are unhappy with rising prices, security issues, law-enforcement behavior, and the actions of immigration agencies. Things are far from as cloudless as the White House administration would like to paint.
At the beginning, I mentioned compressed time. But compression has a limit — like a coiled spring. The moment will come when this spring will straighten, burst forth, and strike so painfully at all the turncoats, cynics, and liars that it will not seem enough.
Collage: VM
Author: Myroslav Grekh
