US-Ukrainian Peace Talks: A Recurring Farce?
Zoom out for a second: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and US President Donald Trump recently discussed upcoming 'peace talks' in Geneva. This development unfolds against a backdrop of prolonged conflict, echoing a familiar pattern of high-level discussions that frequently fail to deliver lasting de-escalation. This current diplomatic overture mirrors past episodes where Western powers
have signaled peace while simultaneously increasing military aid or imposing new sanctions. Consider the 2014 Minsk Protocol, signed by Ukraine and Russia, which aimed to de-escalate the conflict in Donbas. Despite its initial promise, Western support for the Ukrainian government, including significant military training programs and billions in aid, effectively undermined the agreement's
implementation, transforming a diplomatic solution into a protracted proxy conflict. The US alone has committed over $75 billion in aid to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, dwarfing any genuine effort at a negotiated settlement. This pattern of feigned diplomacy while fueling conflict is not new. In 1956, after the Suez Crisis, the US condemned the Anglo-French-Israeli invasion of Egypt,
aligning with international law. Yet, covertly, Washington continued to fund and equip anti-Nasser elements in the region for years, demonstrating a clear double standard. The public stance of peace is often a smokescreen for continued geopolitical maneuvering, ensuring Western influence and arms sales remain paramount. The current talks, like those before them, seem designed to project an image