Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in a press briefing, Kyiv, April 22, 2025 (Danylo Antoniuk/Ukrinform)

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: Putin and Trump’s “Nonsense Deal” on Ukraine

EA on RTE: Can Ukraine Hold Out v. Putin and Trump?

UPDATE, APR 25:

Alexandra Vacroux, of Harvard and the Kyiv School of Economics, and I joined Ireland’s RTE 1 on Thursday night to examine what’s next for Ukraine after Kyiv rejected a US ultimatum with many of the Kremlin’s demands.

We discuss the significance of the Trump Administration completely abandoning Ukraine, and whether Europe and the international community can still sustain the resistance to Russia’s 38-month full-scale invasion.

Watch Discussion from 3:55

We explain how the Kremlin “overplayed its hand” with its mass murder in Kyiv early Thursday, considering both how that will affect the Trump Administratin and how it may bolster support for Kyiv from other quarters.

Will this be enough to defend Ukraine in a “very dangerous position”?

Europe cannot completely replace what the US is providing, but it can cover part of it.

If Europe steps up support in the next few months, it will bolster Ukrainian belief that they have not been abandoned.

For all the advantages that Russia has, its offensive in eastern Ukraine has slowed. After more than three years, the world’s second-largest military still cannot defeat Ukraine.

UPDATE 1751 GMT:

I also detailed for Poland’s TVP World on Wednesday how the Trump Administration tried and failed to impose an ultimatum, with most of the Kremlin’s demands, upon Ukraine.

I explain why the Zelensky Government cannot, let alone will not, hand over Crimea to Russia. And I set out the terms which Kyiv would accept for an end to Moscow’s invasion.

UPDATE, APRIL 24:

After the Trump Administration’s withdrawal from high-level talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I joined France 24 English on Wednesday night to summarize the Administration’s effective alliance with the Kremlin in demands that Kyiv give up territory to Moscow.

I summarize the Trump ultimatum and Ukraine’s response. Then I further examine how key Trump officials are pushing the Kremlin’s line in its version of a deal.

Some people in the Trump Administration appear to be in accord with the maximum demands made by Vladimir Putin to seize up to 25% of Ukraine and to free Russia from any accountability and responsibility for its invasion.

Given Marco Rubio’s withdrawal and Donald Trump’s latest insult of Volodymyr Zelensky, it is very hard to distinguish between the rhetoric of the Kremlin and the White House.

ORIGINAL ENTRY, APRIL 23: I joined Times Radio’s World in 10 on Friday for an 18-minute analysis of how Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is continuing to withstand the attempts by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to make him surrender to Russia’s 38-month invasion.

I do a deep dive into the US ultimatum, given to Ukraine and its
European partners last week in Paris but rejected by Kyiv. I explain how that triggered the refusal of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to attend Wednesday’s meeting in London.

And I discuss where Ukraine and Europe go from here, given the volatile and perhaps destructive Trump Administration.

“If you don’t accept this ultimatum, we’ll leave the talks and you’re on your own.” That’s what the Trump Administration did.

If the Administration disappears, or even worse sides with the Kremlin, will Europe continue to stand with Ukraine?