Zelenskiy is discovering that in politics, "Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction".

In my last blog entry I (28 August 2019) wrote that,

"But can Zelensky either :-

• ignore Bolton's caution about 'rushing into action' when dealing with Putin about his war with Ukraine in the Donbas and his annexation of Ukraine's Crimea or
• ignore Macron's steamrollering towards a  Normandy Format meeting with Putin because of the expanding economic links between French and Russian businessmen or
• ignore Merkel steamrollering the completion of Nord Stream 2 between Germany and Putin?

These are the choices confronting Zelensky.

But what could determine which choice Zelensky chooses is the prospect of,

" ...  a meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy [that] could happen soon.

[According to Bolton], “We expect to have a chance for the two of them to talk in Poland,” he said.

Trump is expected to travel to Poland and Denmark from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, the White House said last month." (Pavel Polityuk : Reuters : 27 August 2019) (my emphasis) (

Further, as Natasha Bertrand of Politico then reported, that,

"The Trump administration is slow-walking $250 million in military assistance to Ukraine, annoying lawmakers and advocates who argue the funding is critical to keeping Russia at bay.

But the delays come amid questions over Trump’s approach to Russia, after a weekend in which the president repeatedly seemed to downplay Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine and pushed for Russia to be reinstated into the Group of Seven, an annual gathering of the world’s largest advanced economies. " (Politico : 29 August 2019) (my emphasis)

ALL BETS ARE NOW OFF!!

As reported by MSNBC, Trump has used the spurious argument about the hurricane heading towards one of his golf courses to CANCEL his meetings in Poland and Denmark, and his expected meeting with President Zelenskiy.

  MSNBC 30 August 2019

As also reported by Kathryn Watson,

"President Trump has been consulting with his national security leadership team to decide the best use of Ukraine security aid to achieve and align with U.S. national security interests, according to a senior administration official. Congress has already approved roughly $250 million in such aid — aid meant largely to confront Russia — for the current fiscal year 2019, which ends September 30. It's that funding that could be in jeopardy." (CBS News : 30 Auguste 23019) (my emphasis)

Putin is cock-a-hoop with joy about the possibility that this US aid to Ukraine could now be cancelled.

As David Brennan (left) reports,

"A senior Russian official has praised President Donald Trump's decision to delay $250 million in military funding to Ukraine, where government forces are battling a Russian-backed insurgency in the east of the country." (Newsweek : 30 August 2019) (my emphasis)

This sudden delaying of military funding to Ukraine by Trump may also have something to do with the fact that Trump's re-election prospects are receding fast, and that his current  pro-Putin decisions may be a signal to Putin himself to ramp up his infiltration of the US electoral system so that he can be re-elected to the White House.

 MSNBC : 22 August 2019

And  coming close on the heels of these developments, it now emerges that Putin has decided to amass his Russian troops on the border with Georgia.

As reported by MSNBC (31 August 2019)

"Troops forming on Russian border area with Georgia ... we've seen this before ..."

As Evelyn Farkas (right) explains,

"This is a very dangerous situation and unfortunately... yet again ... I would say a G7 failure because they should have been talking about Ukraine and Georgia ... and all of the things that Russia's doing wrong, rather than have to discuss the possibility of re-allowing .. re-inviting Russia into the G7" (ibid MSNBC video above)

Ironically, U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton is correct in having stated that,

"...  there is no need for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to "rush" into any course of action regarding Russia’s involvement with separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.
...
"I don't suppose that the Europeans are going to have a solution that is readily apparent," he added in reference to the so-called Normandy format of negotiations aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict." (RFERL : 27 Aug 2019) (my emphasis)

But even John Bolton has now been trumped by Trump.

President Zelenskiy cannot afford to be seen to vacillate in light of the cancelled "possible" meeting between Trump and himself.

The path is now open for Merkel and Macron to force Zelenskiy to adopt their political agenda at the forthcoming Normany Format meeting with Putin. 

 

Zelenskiy is discovering that in politics, "Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction"

 (to be continued)