„In 1978, the year Volodymyr Zelensky was born in Krivoy Rog ‘… few Ukrainian cities… had a worse reputation, this being due to violence and urban decay,’ writes journalist Simon Shuster in his book ‘Showman,’ a biography of the Ukrainian president.”
„The main employer was the Lenin Metallurgical Plant, whose giant furnaces at that time produced more steel than any other foundry in the Soviet Union,” Shuster describes the situation in Krivoy Rog at the end of the ’70s.
Since the invasion began, Kremlin forces have consistently targeted Zelensky’s hometown with missiles, sending a clear message about Putin’s stance towards the Ukrainian leader.
On Friday evening, a ballistic missile attack exploded at a short distance in the air above a neighborhood in the city, according to eyewitnesses, causing a massacre among civilians.
"It is wrong and dangerous to remain silent about the fact that Russia is the one killing children with ballistic missiles..."
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
Nine children died after the missile explosion also affected a playground between buildings, with a total of 19 people losing their lives in the deadliest attack on the population this year.
"There is only one reason they attack cities: Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we see that," Zelensky wrote in a message posted on social media.
International reactions were quick to appear, with Western leaders publicly condemning the cowardly attack by Russian forces. However, a strange silence was noted from the White House and the US Embassy in Kiev.
"Unfortunately, the reaction of the American embassy is surprisingly unpleasant: such a powerful country, such a powerful people - and such a weak response," stated the Ukrainian president.
A Cold Shower for Trump
Zelensky's position indicates the deadlock in ceasefire negotiations between Trump and Putin, actually a major failure of the new administration, humiliated by the Kremlin in every possible way.
Despite promises, the two-hour phone call between the American president and the Russian one, rounds of meetings in Saudi Arabia, no progress has been made towards a ceasefire.
Everything agreed upon regarding a ceasefire on energy infrastructure and military confrontations in the Black Sea has been violated by Russia.
Negotiations have only meant a diplomatic dance for the Kremlin, allowing Putin the opportunity to return to the global stage and present himself again as an influential leader, discussing on equal terms with the Americans.
After a series of praises distributed by Trump through statements and social media posts towards Putin and how he desires a ceasefire, the Russian president's position came as a cold shower for the White House.
At the end of March, at a military event, Vladimir Putin announced the conditions he wants met for a ceasefire in Ukraine: the retention and international recognition of the territories occupied by Russia and the removal of Zelensky from power.
Of course, the Kremlin's demands were dressed in diplomatic language, but the message was clear.
Since that statement by Putin, negotiations between the US and Russia have practically frozen, while the war continues and claims victims among both military personnel and civilians.
A Failed Political Execution
Donald Trump had a plan, part of which, in his characteristic style, he presented during the electoral campaign, announcing that he would bring peace to Ukraine in 24 hours.
It was indeed an exaggeration, but based on his actions after becoming president, Trump actually believed he could quickly persuade Zelensky to accept Putin's conditions. This is what he referred to when promising to bring the two leaders quickly to the negotiating table.
As seen both from the episode at the White House, when Zelensky was subjected to a shocking attack by Vance and Trump, and from the "strange" contract through which the American leader tries to compromise the Ukrainian president, forcing him to yield "rare minerals," the applied strategy was a rapid "political execution" of Zelensky. But it failed.
Trump, as usual, overlooked the background movements, and his plan was thwarted by two of them:
- Joe Biden's actions during the two-month transition period, from the November elections until the end of January 2025, when Trump took office at the White House;
- The action of the European Union and the United Kingdom, which began in early 2024 when the leaders on the continent coalesced the possibility of Trump returning to the White House.
From Enthusiasm to Chaos
After it became clear that the Republican leader won the elections, Biden's team, for over 60 days, massively transferred weapons, technology, and information to Ukraine, so that it could stockpile enough resources to resist at least a year against Russia's assault. Which is happening.
Zelensky wants to be a NATO member. Well, he will never be a NATO member. I think he understands that...
Donald Trump, President of the USA
Western leaders also prepared to have a solid response to Trump's demobilizing actions, while also aiding Ukraine by creating long-term military support mechanisms.
These two extensive actions gave Volodymyr Zelensky the opportunity to thwart Trump's attack, who sought and still seeks to decapitate Ukraine's leadership, with peace actually meaning Kiev's capitulation to Moscow.
Less dependency of Ukraine on the USA in the short and medium term, the development of its defense industry, and more significant support from Europe were the ingredients that led to Trump's failure and Putin's irritation, who ultimately chose to subtly mock the American president, a sort of punishment for boasting and not delivering.
The new American administration went from enthusiasm to chaos in 70 days, and the imposition of a tariff policy, one that caused panic in the US economy, destabilized Donald Trump, who faces increasing opposition from his own party, the justice system, and the business environment.
For him, the mandate, following his own errors, quickly turned into a political survival race, and negotiating peace in Ukraine became a secondary issue for him, but one that will continue to haunt him throughout his tenure at the White House.