The US proposal for "free economic zone" in Ukraine's east 'is a trap', analyst says

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00:00From Kyiv with Peter Zamaeva.

00:02He comes to us as the director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative from Kyiv.

00:07Peter, thank you so much.

00:08In terms of everything that we've heard today,

00:11are we any closer to finding compromise between Ukraine and the United States in terms of peace?

00:20I don't believe so, and I remain solid and unshakable in my analysis

00:24that Vladimir Putin is just playing for time.

00:27He's trying to manipulate everyone.

00:29He's trying to scare Europe into submission.

00:32And now, apparently, he's gotten himself an ally, such as the United States president,

00:37in doing that and essentially gang-pressing the Europeans into going along

00:41with this capitulatory sort of peace agreement that would be pushed down Ukraine's throat

00:47with unclear security guarantees in return for Ukraine,

00:52giving up the rest of the Donbass with some very important towns of Slovansk and Donetsk.

00:58I'm sorry, Kramatorsk, which are essentially commanding heights,

01:02which Putin really would like to take without a fight.

01:06As it is, it would probably take, by some estimates,

01:09another two bloody years to capture those towns.

01:12So this is a trap that have been set for Ukraine.

01:17It is very unfortunate for me as a Ukrainian-American to see that,

01:21whether wittingly or not, the American president seems to be colluding with the Russian side.

01:26Europe is resisting this.

01:28I think both sides, the Americans and the Russians, tend to underestimate or maybe estimate correctly

01:36Europe's disarray and weakness.

01:38That will have to be seen.

01:40But so far, we've seen a lot of bluster from the European leaders,

01:45but the actions haven't unfortunately matched the rhetoric.

01:49Where is the guarantee of future financing of Ukraine?

01:54I mean, what's going to be the decision on the frozen assets?

01:59Europe has not been able to overcome their collective action problem.

02:06And so my analysis, once again, remains unchanged.

02:10Putin will stop this war when the boot of the last soldier,

02:17Russian soldier, steps on the last square meter of Ukraine's territory.

02:23That's on the Russian side, Peter.

02:25In your analysis, what is going to change the U.S. president's mind as far as Ukraine is concerned?

02:32What can Kiev actually do?

02:35Well, Kiev has been playing, I mean, with all the criticism levied against the Ukrainian president

02:41and the recent corruption scandals.

02:44I mean, he's played his relatively weak cards quite capably, trying to sort of balance between Donald Trump's bluster

02:57and the Europeans and their wishes for Ukraine and their understanding that Ukraine's defense is Europe's defense.

03:05So he's played it quite ably, having admittedly a weaker hand.

03:10And at this point, I think, you know, the only way to, if not go around Donald Trump,

03:18but to sort of get him off that perch right now that he's been occupying, very friendly to Russia,

03:26is to go directly to the congressman and to try to bolster the bipartisan support of Ukraine among the establishment on the Hill.

03:35I'm talking about key policymakers, senators and congressmen, both Democrat and Republican.

03:42That's precisely what's been keeping Trump from just outright signing some kind of an agreement with Russia

03:48and overnight stopping all aid to Ukraine.

03:52There's still that ball guard.

03:53There's still Mitch McConnell's and, you know, Lindsey Graham's on the Hill

03:57that just can't stomach the idea that America would have this 180-degree turnaround and give up on its ally.

04:07That's the only thing, I think, that's keeping Donald Trump from making that step.

04:11Otherwise, I think he sees in Russia a very lucrative partner, an ideological partner.

04:18And that is very, very, very worrisome.

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