Last week, in an extraordinary display, Ukraine’s President Zelensky sat in his designer military outfit and proceeded to lecture, interrupt, and disrespect America’s President, who was trying to broker peace and finance reconstruction. The spectacle was breathtaking. Zelensky is not thinking straight.

Why the meltdown? Why did Trump and Vance respond with indignance to demands for more money and security guarantees? Why did Zelensky renege on a clear way to finance his country’s reconstruction with mineral rights? 

Some things are obvious, others not. Here are a few indisputable facts.

US taxpayers have given direct aid to Ukraine since Russia’s unprovoked annexation in February 2022 of between $200 and $350 billion, and indirect aid to NATO is far above that. Since 2014, the US has given Ukraine another $44.5 billion dollars in military aid.

By contrast, the US gives $870 million to our Pacific friend Taiwan, only three billion since 2014. So, Ukraine has drawn more than 100 times the aid Taiwan has in a decade.

The US, over the past 75 years, has given $22 trillion dollars to NATO, after financing the Allied WWI victory, which cost us 450,000 men. The US finances 16 percent of NATO’s budget, asking for two percent from the other 31 nations. Only 11 of them give that.

Since the Ukraine war’s start, which might have been prevented with diplomacy before 2014, for example, brokering a Panama-style lease between Ukraine and Russia for warmwater port rights, the US has been Ukraine’s real defender.

In total support, Americans have given Ukraine more than all 31 other NATO members combined, running down our stockpiles of Stinger anti-aircraft and Javelin anti-tank missiles, M77 towed howitzers, 144, 000 rounds of ammunition, drones, A3 and M113 APC vehicles, body arm, helmets, rifles, radar, foreign-made helicopters, and F-16 production line for Ukraine.

Beyond readiness issues for our military, this contribution to Ukraine cost Americans dearly. While half a trillion dollars over ten years may seem small in comparison to our 6.3 trillion annual budget and 37 trillion debt, it is big. It helped fuel Biden inflation, that his nine percent in 2022.

So, returning to Trump’s peace plan, what did Zelensky do? While at the White House, he aborted the mineral rights agreement that would have created a 50-50 fund with US investment to underwrite Ukraine’s reconstruction and put a US “tripwire” in Ukraine.

US participants wanted a more direct return for US i risk-taking, but Trump wanted peace. This deal would have accelerated peace talks with Russia when it has a hollowed out army, high casualties – as Ukraine – and needs Chinese resupply and North Korean soldiers. The time is now.

Ukraine had a chance to step up, take the initiative, and form a lasting bond with us, accelerating the peaceful closure of a devastating war. What did Zelensky have to lose? Almost nothing. His country cannot continue fighting, except in continued, death-dealing stalemate.

Zelensky has no realistic chance of regaining the 20 percent of Ukraine illegally taken by Russia. That portion is notably “Russified,” speaks Russian, history with Russia, ion places – even before war – favored Russia. If this seems somehow outrageous, not part of the narrative, Western history books will confirm it. Like other split nations, ethnic division continues and autocrats exploit them,

This war has no obvious way of ending short of more death, destruction, attrition, and risk of major escalation. Civilians pay the largest price in Ukraine. So, what is the answer?

Peace is hard but necessary. Russia will not get what it wants: the reassimilation of all Ukraine. Ukraine will not get recovery of the Russified east or NATO membership or US security guarantees.

For the US to secure Ukraine would, in effect, give Ukraine NATO membership, inviting a “hot war” with nuclear-armed Russia. For the US to walk away from Ukraine’s resources to refinance rebuilding would be folly. For NATO not to want this peace with Russia weakened is also folly.

What Trump-Vance want is to end the war, broker for Ukraine – incidentally, one of the most corrupt governments in the world – lasting peace, what they should also want, not pie in the sky but peace.

Instead, Zelensky – like a spoiled, demanding, out-of-touch child – threw a tantrum and demanded more US money and arms. He rudely interrupted, insulted, and chided Americans. Asked to thank America, he did not. Asked to apologize, he refused. Asked to contribute resources, he refused that too.

Bottom line?  Russia is staggering, its army exhausted, low on everything from bullets to men. They are poised for peace but will keep fighting, with China and North Korea helping. Is peace a good idea? Yes. Possible? Yes. Will it last? Likely yes. Zelensky is not thinking straight. As his options vanish, he needs to rethink arrogance, not a good look. His countrymen need a leader, not a comedian.

Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC. Robert Charles has also just released an uplifting new book, “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024).