Free Republic

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls on partners to respond seriously to Russia's constant attacks, which undermines international efforts to end the war. Source: President's evening address Quote: "Last night, [Russia launched – ed.] 172 attack drones, more than 100 of which were Shaheds. In fact, large-scale drone assaults persist on a daily basis, as do missile threats and ballistic missiles. It should be apparent to our partners that these Russian strikes target not only our people, but also all international efforts and diplomacy aimed at bringing this war to an end. Russia is striking at the positions of all those...

MUNICH (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that his country wants “security guarantees” before any talks with Russia, as the Trump administration presses both countries to find a quick endgame to the three-year war. Shortly before sitting down with Vice President JD Vance for highly anticipated talks at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy said he will only agree to meet in-person with Russian leader Vladimir Putin after a common plan is negotiated with U.S. President Donald Trump. The roughly 40-minute meeting between Vance and Zelenskyy produced no major announcements detailing the way out of the deadliest war in...

On Monday, when asked what the Biden administration is telling Ukrainian counterparts about what will happen once Biden leaves office, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told ABC This Week: Well, first what I’m saying is we’re going to do everything in our power for these 50 days to get Ukraine all the tools we possibly can to strengthen their position on the battlefield so they’ll be stronger at the negotiating table. And President Biden directed me to oversee a massive surge in the military equipment that we are delivering to Ukraine so that we have spent every dollar that Congress...

Kyiv knows that it will have to recalibrate and take care not to get on Trump’s bad side, hence Zelenskyy’s emphasizing the importance of exploring diplomatic solutions. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Keith Kellogg, a former national security adviser and decorated retired U.S. general, to be his special envoy to Ukraine and Russia has reassured a nervous Kyiv up to a point. Ukrainian officials are familiar with Kellogg, a peace-through-strength advocate who’s argued publicly that any deal to end the nearly three-year-long war of attrition would have to include solid security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure there’s lasting peace...

In the world of geopolitics created by the U.S. Dept of State and CIA, the pretending is thick. A recent report has Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy now offering to give up territory to Russian President Vladimir Putin in exchange for NATO membership for the remaining portion. The story is sold by western media as if Zelenskyy has options, he doesn’t. However, Putin has a very strong weapon that President Trump has to navigate with a team of people around U.S. policy that are tenuous at best. Let’s discuss without the pretending.