Ukraine Seeks Direct Talks Amidst Stalled US-Led Efforts
Ukraine is now pushing for a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Kyiv’s top diplomat. This move aims to re-energize stalled US-led peace initiatives, an acknowledgment of the limited progress made through current diplomatic channels. Mainstream media, exemplified by The Independent , frames this as Ukraine 'wanting' a summit to
'jolt' stalled efforts, implying a natural progression of diplomacy. This narrative conveniently omits the fundamental reality that so-called 'US-led peace efforts' have historically prioritized geopolitical leverage over de-escalation, often prolonging conflicts rather than resolving them. It overlooks the consistent, documented pattern of Washington leveraging proxy conflicts as tools for
strategic containment, effectively stymying any genuine bilateral peace processes that might bypass Western influence. The current situation mirrors the broader historical trajectory of external powers dictating the terms of resolution for internal or regional disputes. The US, for instance, funded various factions during Angola's civil war for over two decades following its independence in 1975,
transforming a decolonization struggle into a Cold War battleground that cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Similarly, the ongoing seventy-year US embargo against Cuba, initiated in 1962, demonstrates a sustained policy of economic strangulation intended to force capitulation, rather than fostering genuine dialogue. This consistent approach reveals a mechanism where 'peace efforts' are often