By Simplicius, Substack, 10/10/24

Things have gone from bad to worse for Ukraine. Zelensky is again traveling the globe in an attempt to form some type of international consensus for ending the conflict. After half a year of deliberately obfuscating propaganda about Russia “desperately” chasing a ceasefire, it has emerged clearer than ever that it is in fact Ukraine desperate to browbeat allies into forcing Russia into an armistice. In reality, Russia has now signaled more strongly than ever that there is nothing to negotiate about presently.

The Western MSM narrative has fully pivoted to the arc that Ukraine is now ‘flexible’ as to the concessions for ending the war—referring to, namely, the now chief Western demand of giving up land to placate Russia into ceasefire.

Of course Zelensky continues to vocally declare he is not considering land-for-peace, however, this is obviously a ploy to keep nationalist groups at bay. He has to present the ostensible face of strength in this regard, when in reality he merely wants the perception to look like it’s the allies driving this initiative, in order to deflect blame onto them when it finally does happen. Proof of this lies in the fact that even Forbes pressed this issue in their latest piece, explaining how Russia seeks to deliberately force Ukraine into concessions for the express purpose of activating Ukrainian ‘nationalist groups’ to oust Zelensky:

The absurdly written article tries to sketch an equivalence between Saakasvhili losing power after the 2008 war due to forced unfair ‘demands’ from Russia in the ensuing talks, to the same happening to Zelensky were he to cow to Russian ‘demands’ in the hypothetical approaching negotiations. Most interesting is how the article winds a desultory path around the issue without ever naming precisely why it is that the danger for Zelensky is so high. The author disingenuously refuses to name the elephant in the room: ideological Nazi nationalist groups which have Zelensky gripped tight by his ‘piano hand’.

But the main highlight came by way of the Italian Corriere della Sera paper, which broke the news, on the heels of Zelensky’s Rome jaunt, that the cargo-pantsed leader is in fact ready to negotiate an end to the war:

“Kyiv is ready for a ceasefire along the current front line, reports Corriere della Sera.

“The leadership of Ukraine is prepared for a ceasefire based on the current front line, but without recognizing the loss of territories, in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S. and entry into the EU, the newspaper writes.

“Zelensky’s European tour, which includes visits to Paris, Rome, and Berlin, is aimed at gaining support and guarantees for a swift accession to the EU.” – RVvoenkor

It’s important to note the article clarifies the only reason Zelensky even touched down in Italy for the second time in a month is because the vaunted NATO Ramstein summit was abruptly cancelled after Biden ditched out amid hurricane Milton barreling down on Florida.

But some sources plausibly posed a different reason:

“BREAKING: Postponed Ramstein Summit Exposes Growing Frustration with Zelensky Regime The Biden administration’s decision to delay the Ramstein summit, originally set to discuss further NATO support for Ukraine, signals deeper concerns about the conflict.

“According to ex-Pentagon analyst Karen Kwiatkowski, this postponement isn’t just due to Hurricane Milton. The Zelensky regime’s failing counteroffensive and strategic missteps have led to growing frustration in Washington and among NATO allies, as hopes of a military victory in Ukraine dwindle. With Ukraine struggling and the West running out of options, some suggest it’s time to rethink the strategy and seek diplomatic solutions.”

The article goes on to write of Zelensky’s push for a 2025 ceasefire:

“These words of Zelensky, of course, must be interpreted. He for one knows that September, as Grand Continent magazine has documented, was the month of greatest territorial losses for Ukraine since the first half of 2022: at least 468 square kilometers conquered by Moscow at the cost of about 1,000 Russian casualties per day, including deaths and injuries.”

Their clincher underscores my opening thesis:

“[Zelensky] for one knows that he can never officially give up the occupied territories (too unpopular for any Ukrainian politician to say). However, he would be ready for a cease-fire along the current line–without recognizing a new official border–in exchange for certain Western commitments. First, a security guarantee from the United States, along the lines of those extended by the Americans to Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.”

In short: Zelensky wants to appear as a stalwart who said valiantly “no” to the issue of territorial concessions. But using ‘creative language’, he’s open to NATO’s idea of presenting the loss of land as ‘temporary’ and officially unrecognized by Ukrainian authorities. Those who’ve read my last paywalled piece know all about this, as I explained it all in detail already—another reason to subscribe, as you get all this cutting edge information way before it ‘breaks’ on the big MSM stage….