Here’s an early tipoff on whether or not President Donald Trump’s meeting today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is gonna go well: Pretend you’re Mr. Blackwell and keep a keen eye on the fashion. That’s our cue: If Zelensky shows up at the White House without a suit and a tie (again), this meeting is gonna go south in a hurry.
Say what you want about Putin, but at least he didn’t show up in Alaska wearing a tracksuit.
We’re in a brand-spanking-new phase of the Russia-Ukraine PR war. The first chapter was all about the evil Russians and the brave, plucky Ukrainians who had defied the odds — whipping and wounding the mighty Russian Bear. Sure, there were always a hodgepodge of Russian apologists who blamed the West for “provoking” Russia into invading its neighbors, but Western hearts were firmly aligned with the Ukrainian people.
And Zelensky? The dude became a rockstar. His “I need ammunition, not a ride” line sounded like something Bruce Willis might say in “Die Hard.”
My man was such a rockstar that he even made an appearance at the Grammy Awards!
Had the Ukrainian military pressed its (brief) advantage and pulled off the upset, Zelensky would’ve been heralded as our generation’s George Washington — an inspirational, charismatic leader on par with giants like Churchill. He’d be the most admired, most celebrated man on Earth.
Unfortunately, the Ukrainian advance stalled. And what happened next was exactly what always happens when Russia goes to war. As we discussed in yesterday’s VIP column (which y’all should 100% join):
If you’re a superfan of world history, the Russia-Ukraine war has been a microcosm of pretty much every single Russian war over the last 500 years:
The first year is a disaster. The Russians are disorganized and unprepared. Their military, which rewards corruption and cronyism (and eyes competency with suspicion), embarrassingly underperforms.
But then they figure it out — mostly by throwing bodies at the problem until something finally cracks. Usually it’s their enemy — but sometimes it’s the Russian government.
Next came the phase in the story when the dominant narrative was the grinding, methodical gains of the Russian War Machine. Little by little, in this brutal, bloody war of attrition, more and more Ukrainian land was being devoured.
And in the process, hundreds of thousands of brave young men were dying.
The significance of the Trump-Putin summit wasn’t whether or not it led to an instant peace deal. That wasn’t realistic. But the summit was still a matter of life-and-death importance because it signaled a potential off-ramp from the current chapter.
(This — if your sympathies are with the Ukrainians — is a very good thing. This chapter was just dreadful for Ukraine, and the sooner we can close it, the better.)
This morning from ABC News: “Trump says Zelenskyy can end Russia war ‘almost immediately’ before White House meet.”
President Trump isn’t wrong, but that’s kind of like saying Mike Spinks could’ve ended his fight with Mike Tyson even earlier simply by getting KO’d faster. It’s WAY easier to end a war by losing than to end a war by winning.
Another sticking point is the question of a “peace deal” versus a “ceasefire.” Some in the media — and quite a few big names in Europe — are upset that President Trump didn’t force Putin to stop fighting and is instead seeking a lasting peace agreement:
“Under the present circumstances, we need a ceasefire and security guarantees to prevent Putin from violating the ceasefire. In my opinion, Putin’s idea about a ‘peace treaty’ instead of a ceasefire is extremely dangerous and unacceptable for both Ukraine and the U.S.” [emphasis added]
—Oleksandr Mrezhko, member of the Ukrainian parliament
No matter. That’s not the kind of narrative that’s gonna move the PR needle in the U.S. Either a ceasefire OR a peace deal would be a big improvement over the status quo.
When fewer babies die, everyone wins.
The PR landmine for President Trump, however, is getting locked into a “Snow White” decision. That’s a decision named after the 2025 Disney remake/flop of the 1937 classic.
A couple of days ago, “Page Six” of the New York Post ran the story, “Gal Gadot says ‘pressure’ to speak out against Israel caused ‘Snow White’ movie to flop”:
Gal Gadot revealed she believes the “pressure” placed on celebrities to speak against Israel played a role in her Disney film, “Snow White,” tanking at the box office.
“I was sure this movie was going to be a huge hit. And then it happened,” she said, referencing the Oct. 7 attacks, in a clip from her interview on Israeli TV.
She’s half-right. The fact that she is, with the (possible) exception of Bibi Netanyahu, the most famous Israeli on the planet IS a huge part of the story. Her nationality hurt the film at the box office.
It’d be stupid to argue otherwise.
But the other part of the story goes to the film’s other controversies: The lead actress, Rachel Ziegler, was vocally pro-Palestinian and bashed the much-beloved original “Snow White” film as “weird” for having a “love story with a guy who literally stalks her.”
It was also relevant that Rachel Ziegler was of Colombian descent and therefore not “snow white.” Being “snow white” was kind of the character’s calling card; it would’ve been like creating a “Scarface” character without a scar on his face.
Coming on the heels of countless other gender- and/or race-swaps in recent Disney films, conservative enthusiasm for the “Snow White” remake was nonexistent, too.
Bottom line? Conservatives didn’t like it, and liberals didn’t like it. Thus, the movie bombed.
Which brings us back to Putin, Zelensky, and the prospects of a peace deal. President Trump must recognize that — irrespective of reality — the mainstream media will frame Trump’s decision as a big win for Russia.
They’re not giving up the “Trump is a Russian asset” canard, folks. Everything he says and does will be viewed through that prism.
If Europe wants to give Ukraine an ironclad war guarantee, it certainly has the freedom to do so. Heck, if Europe wants to build a new anti-Russian defense alliance, nobody’s stopping it: its population and economy dwarf that of Russia. But it’s not “America First” to commit American soldiers to policing a border dispute between Russia and Ukraine.
A peace deal that gives Russia an ounce of “Ukrainian territory” will be demagogued by the warmongering Left as a horrible, awful, no-good capitulation to Putin: “You rewarded him for his aggression!” (“See? We told you he’s a Russian asset!”)
On the other hand, a peace deal that gives Russia ZERO new territory wouldn’t be accepted by Putin. It would be far easier for him to continue his ongoing war of attrition. Putin might be a tyrant and a murderer, but he’s also a student of history.
Especially Russian history.
He already paid the year-one “admission price.” Now’s the time to press his advantage, at least until he runs out of bodies.
Finally, a peace deal that leaves American soldiers as international tripwires would cause heartburn in MAGA corners. I’ll make it personal: My oldest son is a soldier in the Army Cavalry. I’d be beyond furious if he were risking his life in a Russian-Ukrainian border dispute!
That’s not America First.
Frankly, I don’t see too many good options for President Trump. Damned if he doesn’t, damned if he does, damned again if he doesn’t. Decisions that will make everyone happy (and I don’t mean just Happy) are few and far between; “Snow White” decisions are everywhere else.
My advice?
Leave the poison apple for Europe. Let them figure it out.
It’s not a good look for a superpower to be bossed around by dwarves.
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