[ Flash ] Ukraine Surrenders

President Zelensky has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire. Yet, what truly matters are the terms of that ceasefire, not merely the fact of it. In effect, this amounts to a surrender.

Europe’s propaganda apparatus will keep operating at maximum capacity to perpetuate the narrative that Ukraine has not surrendered.

As Emmanuel Macron clings to his faltering diplomatic spectacle by welcoming 30 foreign military chiefs of staff, the Trump administration managed, in under nine hours, to bring Zelensky to heel. Away from European scrutiny, he agreed to a ceasefire poised to pave the way for a enduring peace.

According to AFP, Emmanuel Macron has “launched operational efforts to deliver security assurances to Ukraine” (chuckles), conveniently overlooking the fact that these foreign generals don’t answer to him. In their home nations, unlike France, it’s the Parliaments that hold decision-making power.

Consider the Dutch Parliament, for example, which has just shot down ReArm—the European Commission’s extravagant scheme to Europeanize defense.

The sole assurance the West can realistically extend to Ukraine is a commitment to its neutrality. Trump is determined to see elections held before year’s end, aiming to oust Zelensky’s government—a key source of the ongoing turmoil. The verdict is in, and Europe wasn’t asked to attend the sentencing.

Following Russia’s second tactical masterstroke—the first being the Dnipro retro-crossing in June 2022—where 800 troops maneuvered through a gas pipeline to encircle Ukrainian forces in the Kursk salient, Zelensky’s hopes of leverage evaporated. Add to that the cutoff of U.S. intelligence, which drove home to the Ukrainian president the dire consequences awaiting his military, his nation, and himself if he didn’t halt the fighting at once.

The Europeans, too, have likely taken note: Washington need only disable access to precision GNSS to render U.S.-made weaponry ineffective—no need even to keep F-35s on the tarmac.

No use mincing words: Zelensky has surrendered. Agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire is precisely that.

What counts isn’t the mere principle of a ceasefire, but its specific terms. Official statements are silent on locking the conflict at the present frontline. The Russian conditions remain unclear, though we can speculate: full Ukrainian withdrawal from the Kursk salient and the four Russia-annexed oblasts, artillery relocated out of striking distance, and so forth. A ceasefire demands verifiability—nothing beats a natural barrier like the Dnipro for that. Notably, this ceasefire proposal to Russia comes without a deadline, meaning Kyiv will be bound by whatever deal the U.S. strikes with Moscow.

Should the bloodshed cease, we’d be right to welcome it. Yet we’ll also have to admit that European leaders had no hand in it—they’ve only excelled at sabotaging talks, much as they did with the Istanbul accord in March 2022.

This ought to prompt a hard look at whether those in charge are fit to lead, and if an urgent overhaul of our leadership isn’t overdue. Beyond embarrassing us, they’ve exhibited a reckless and profound lack of discernment.