I spent much of the last week talking my Ukrainian friends on the balconies of their apartment building or advising them to lock their kitchen knives in the trunks of their cars.
It was a horrific week for Ukrainian morale.
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The good news is that nothing has been signed yet. Nothing is etched in stone. And President Zelensky is doing the right thing by holding tough under President Trump’s pressure to get a good deal on the mineral agreement.
But he could be doing better. And it would be easy for him.
Last week Zelensky and Trump went back and forth in the media. This is Trump’s game. He almost always wins.
But Zelensky, like Ronald Reagan, started his public life as an actor and comedian. I have seen “Servant of the People.” Ukraine’s president is funny. He needs to use that gift when engaging with Trump.
Zelensky rejected Trump’s initial offer on the mineral deal, prompting a round of beatings in the media from Trump’s team. Likely, this is a negotiating tactic. How could President Zelensky have responded in a way to disarm Trump?
Here is an idea:
Mr. President, I read the Art of the Deal. On page 117, it says never accept the first offer when negotiating. So, I am taking your advice and not signing this deal. Looking forward to receiving your next offer.
Last week, President Zelensky said Trump is trapped in a “disinformation bubble.” It is hard to see an upside to this statement. This is language Democrats use when talking about President Trump, and it did nothing to get good information to Trump or his voters. Zelensky triggered a social media broadside from Trump while simultaneously further alienating Trump’s supporters by sounding like Nancy Pelosi.
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Up to that point, Zelensky had impressive message discipline in flattering Trump, which is the most productive messaging I can see for him. It works for Putin.
I have run Republican campaigns all my life, and in campaigns, you try to get your opponent off their best message. Zelensky is in a campaign, and his opponents succeeded in getting him off message.
I arrived in Ukraine on day 5 of the war to help. I have spent much of that time building conservative support for Ukraine and watching Zelensky’s team commit unforced errors with Republicans. Zelensky’s rating among Trump voters has dropped by 30 points in the last three years from 67% in March of 2022 to 36% last month. This is prior to Trump’s salvo against him which has likely battered him down further.
I don’t know who is advising Zelensky on American politics, but my guess is that they are left leaning and just don’t know how to deal with Republicans.
Perhaps it is time Zelensky tries something different.
Here is a social media response he could have used instead of “disinformation bubble.”
Mr. President, this is what spending an hour and a half on the phone with Putin will do to you. Be careful, or next thing you know you will be showing up in Moscow with a big red reset button.
I know your Constitution is important to you. So is ours. When it was written in 1996, it forbade elections during a time of war. Sure, Putin has elections, he just throws all the opposition candidates out of windows as a campaign tactic.
All the cities in Kyiv that are destroyed are in the Russian speaking parts of Ukraine that Putin invaded to “liberate.” The courage of Ukraine’s soldiers using American weapons has pushed the Russians out of all but 18% of Ukraine, an area about the size of Tennessee.
Come to Ukraine and let me show you what the US and Ukraine have accomplished together and what more we can do with your leadership. Bring Tucker. He might enjoy our supermarkets.
Classic diplomacy is dead in DC for at least four years. Ukraine needs to adapt. Fortunately, they have the tools.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
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