Grossman’s commentary on Trump’s peace plan misreads both history and current events involving war in Ukraine

 

Grossman’s commentary on Trump’s peace plan misreads both history and current events involving war in Ukraine

 

Ron Grossman spent most of his Chicago Tribune ommentary “There are echoes of World War II in Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine” comparing Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine with Neville Chamberlain’s 1938 peace plan for Czechoslovakia at Munich. But not only isn’t history repeating itself in Ukraine, it isn’t even, as Grossman alludes to, rhyming.  

 

No esteemed historian or political scientist would make that comparison. Alas, it’s the easy ‘go to’ argument for those seeking to keep the war in Ukraine raging till the last Ukrainian soldier is dead. That is the inevitable outcome if a sensible peace settlement is not quickly achieved. With Russia on the cusp of victory on the battlefield, Trump’s recognition of that reality should be supported, not denigrated.

 

The history Grossman should have provided was the 23 years of NATO encroachment to Russia’s borders beginning under Bill Clinton in 1999. Russia spent that entire time asking, begging, pleading with the US not to isolate, indeed threaten Russia by bringing NATO membership and NATO nukes to Russia’s borders. That was not Hitlerite aggression. It was endless, methodical diplomacy that was dismissed out of hand by an arrogant America under 5 presidents preceding Trump’s pivot to peace in term two.

 

Besides misreading history, Grossman appears oblivious that Ukraine is on the cusp of collapse with no prospects whatsoever of reversing their impending loss. Is he even aware that over 10 million Ukrainians have fled a Ukraine with a shattered economy, a million casualties, and rampant corruption that has convinced Trump to pull out? There is sound reason for Trump excluding Ukraine President Zelensky from the peace talks. Zelensky rejected Trump’s peace plan, demanding he must get back all lost territory that will forever be Russian, even demanding Crimea back lost 11 years ago. That is not statecraft. That is delusion.

 

History tells us the US and NATO provoked the 2022 Russian invasion, indeed made it inevitable after 23 years of failed Russian diplomacy. Current events tell us that Ukraine is defeated and loses more soldiers and more land every day it continues to press on to unachievable victory.

 

Walt Zlotow   West Suburban Peace Coalition,  Glen Ellyn IL