At a special EU summit on March 6, Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to work with the United States and European partners to achieve peace .
This statement may sound like a diplomatic statement, but in the context of the recent international situation, the meaning behind it goes deeper.
It is definitely not a coincidence that the Ukrainian president, who has been tough to the end for the past few years, suddenly changed his mind and is willing to end the war as soon as possible.
After Trump’s return to the White House, the U.S. attitude toward Ukraine has shifted dramatically, from unconditional support to To aid, first listen .
Behind the change in Zelensky’s attitude is the enormous pressure Ukraine is under.
Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in 2022, Ukraine has been almost continuously confronting Russia with the support of the West.
Two years on, the situation on the battlefield is not moving in the direction Ukraine would like, but is becoming increasingly unfavorable.
The 2023 counteroffensive was thwarted, and the Ukrainian army failed to make a strategic breakthrough and suffered heavy losses.
In 2024, there was a change of government in the U.S., and Trump’s support for Ukraine plummeted when he came to power, and there were even rumors that he was going to cut off aid.
At a special EU summit in March, Zelensky made a rare move to lower his stance, stating that Ukraine was willing to achieve peace as soon as possible and cooperate with the United States and Europe around the clock .
At the same time, Ukraine has begun to compromise on mineral resources Foreign policy to the United States, and even took the initiative to express a willingness to accelerate the strategic agreement with the United States.
Zelensky’s changes directly reflect Ukraine’s current predicament.
U.S. aid cuts make Ukraine’s military unsustainable
After Trump took office, U.S. policy toward Ukraine took a 180-degree turn.
Military aid has slowed and arms supplies have been reduced.
In the past, Ukraine could rely on a steady flow of arms aid from the U.S. But now, the U.S. has frozen some of its aid programs, and the Ukrainian army is caught in a shortage of ammunition on the front lines.
With reduced financial support, the Ukrainian economy is in crisis.
Ukraine’s wartime economy relies heavily on financial transfusions from the United States and Europe, and once aid decreases, the government will not even be able to pay its troops, let alone sustain a long-term war.
Intelligence support could be cut off, and the U.S. provides satellite reconnaissance and intelligence analysis that is vital to Ukraine, but the Trump administration has hinted that Ukraine can no longer take these resources for nothing.
If the U.S. were to scale back its support across the board, Ukraine’s war machine would not be sustainable.
This is the real reason why Zelensky had to bow down.
The situation on the Ukrainian battlefield is deteriorating as the Russian offensive intensifies
Ukraine is not only facing the problem of weakening external support, the situation on the battlefield is becoming more unfavorable.
The Russian army is steadily advancing on the eastern front, and the Ukrainian army continues to lose strategically important places, and the pressure on its defenses is increasing.
Ukraine’s mobilization capacity is nearing its limit, with a large number of young men already drafted into the army and the conflict over domestic conscription intensifying.
Morale is declining, discontent is emerging within the army, and without new supplies and assistance, the fighting strength of the Ukrainian army will decline further.
Zelensky’s peace statement, to some extent, is also a realistic consideration of the current war situation Ukraine, if it continues to hold on, will only make the situation more unfavorable.
U.S. political control over Ukraine is being strengthened.
The Trump administration has not only reduced aid to Ukraine, but has also begun to intervene directly in Ukraine’s political affairs.
The U.S. demanded that Ukraine sign a new mineral agreement involving the rights to a large number of key resources, which Zelensky originally resisted but eventually compromised on.
Washington’s contacts with the Ukrainian opposition and news that Trump’s handlers have met with former Ukrainian Prime Minister Tymoshenko and others mean that the U.S. may be preparing a replacement for Zelensky.
Trump has even hinted that Zelensky may not be in office for long if Ukraine is not willing to negotiate, which has been interpreted as a naked political threat.
Zelensky’s softening is not just a matter of battlefield reluctance, but also the preservation of his own political career.
European attitudes began to waver.
Ukraine used to count on Europe to be a staunch supporter, but now even its European allies are beginning to urge Zelensky to be realistic.
French President Macron, British Prime Minister Starmer are all urging Zelensky to accept reality and not continue to anger Trump.
Europe is under increasing economic pressure and can no longer afford to aid Ukraine unconditionally as it has in the past, and more and more countries are beginning to reflect on the cost of this conflict.
Some European countries have even begun to reach out privately to Russia in an attempt to pave the way for future peace talks.
When European support begins to waver, Ukraine’s situation becomes even more dangerous.
The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase, and Zelensky’s bowing down means that Ukraine can no longer hold a hard line as it did in the past.
With U.S. policy shifting and the Trump administration no longer supporting Ukraine unconditionally, Zelensky can only adjust his tactics and try to get as much aid as possible.
The situation on the battlefield in Ukraine has deteriorated, and continuing to hold out will only make the situation worse, so Zelensky began to release signals of negotiation, in exchange for a chance to breathe.
Europe’s attitude is also changing, no longer blindly support Ukraine, but began to seek realistic solutions.
This softening of Zelensky’s stance could be an important turning point in the war in Ukraine.
But the question is, will Trump really ease Ukraine toward the negotiating table, or will he continue to force Zelensky to give in?
The future of Ukraine remains fraught with uncertainty.
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