The Ukrainians Stop Pretending; Zelenskyy Speaks The Truth And Trump Does Too, In A Way

[Amaryllis]

https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-180-the-ukrainians

The Ukrainians Stop Pretending
Phillips P. OBrien
Apr 12, 2026

This is a week in which the Trump administration is finding out how hard it is to run a war, while the Ukrainians are showing what they have and are learning. A few hours ago, the US-Iran talks broke down without an agreement, leaving the Trump administration in a self-created dilemma. Do they go back to bombing? Escalate? Walk away? They have fought this war in an almost dream-state, assuming that what they thought would happen would somehow magically occur. Remember, clicks your heels together and say “I think I can” and the Strait of Hormuz will simply open “naturally”.

The Ukrainians have never had the benefit of magical thinking. They have had from the start an enemy that was determined to destroy them. That being said, they have had hope and unrealistic expectations at times, particularly of the USA but also of some European partners. This was the week we can say all of that hope was publicly put aside. Ukraine started talking to the USA and Europe in a different language and that alone is worth note.

snip

The Ukrainians Stop Pretending

I sent out a piece just on Friday about how President Zelensky, arguably for the first time, spoke honestly about how the US was acting in league with Russia.

Zelensky Speaks The Truth And Trump Does Too, In A Way

Phillips P. OBrien
·
Apr 10
Read full story

Not long after it was published, Zelenskyy went even further. In a tweet that was pointed and directed at European policy makers, Zelensky said Europe needed to plan for its own defense relying on European resources without the USA. To prepare for such a world, Zelensky called for some pretty radical measures to create new and expand existing structures. Fascinatingly, he called for Turkey to be added to the newly energized European security structure (which seems to be some kind of more unitary European Union) The whole statement is worth a close read.
(Go to link for Zelenskyy's statement)

Big snip! And then:
So in the space of a few hours, Zelensky implied that the US was working for/with Russia on getting rid of sanctions on Russia, on trying to get Ukraine to give up the Donbas in exchange for meaningless security guarantees, and that Europe needed to start imagining a defense future that did not involve the USA.

Lots more at link