Zelensky stepped into the arena knowing he wasn’t alone. With Macron and the European Union backing him, and a West (even if hypocritical) determined not to allow a defeated Ukraine, the Ukrainian president had no intention of yielding. The global community can’t tolerate a major defeat—not out of compassion for Ukraine, but out of fear of setting a precedent that would make the entire Western political establishment tremble. Zelensky had prepared to play the tragic hero, but with his back covered.
Trump, however, quickly realised he was backed into a corner. He thought he could play the role of the great global strategist, but soon understood that, without American support, Ukraine would fight on regardless. With an increasingly nervous Europe and Macron already savouring the taste of power, Trump was left without leverage. He doesn’t like being without control, and the situation became uncomfortable for someone used to having the upper hand. So, he turned the negotiations into a spectacle, balancing between superficial firmness and what seemed more like a carnival samba of appeasement. He was looking for any sign of victory, any gesture, no matter how small, that could be spun into a triumph. But the problem was clear: without America in the equation, Europe would fill the void, and Macron, of course, already knew how to play this hand. He’d done it successfully before when Washington stumbled under the Biden administration, and now he was doing it again—with more confidence and a steel-like determination. Trump isn’t the type to accept checkmate without flipping the board. He would never do that. But the dilemma is obvious: if he pulls out, he disappears—becomes irrelevant. If he stays, he’ll have to play by someone else’s rules—and he doesn’t like that scenario at all. For a man who thrives on image, to appear defeated is not just a setback—it’s a personal catastrophe. The key player in this game, however, remains, in essence, the young and hungry wolf, Macron, who has sniffed the perfect opportunity to establish himself as Europe’s de facto leader. As has been demonstrated, Macron has learned to play on others’ turf with far more dexterity than Trump, and now he’s waiting for the moment to secure his supreme position. All with the calm of a chess master, where Zelensky, Putin, Trump, Vance, and Musk are nothing more than pawns on his chessboard.
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