Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Fox News correspondent Greg Palkot in Kyiv, Ukraine, in April 2024, during coverage of the ongoing war with Russia. (Fox News)
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There are all sorts of talks happening now between the U.S. and Ukraine and among European leaders. We’re even hearing from Russian President Vladmimir Putin. It's no wonder: The stakes in this war for Europe and the world are enormous. If I were to send a quick note to Zelenskyy, it would go something like this:
Dear Volodymyr,
So far so good. You haven’t freaked out, and you’re promising to engage. Rejection of this plan out of hand would have been a non-starter.
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You’re staying cool (though a bit grim and determined), and you’re talking to people.
My overall advice is ... pick your fights, don’t sweat the small stuff, and keep the big picture in mind.
I know what your country is going through. Every time I’m in Kyiv, I go to the same military cemetery outside the city, and it keeps getting bigger and bigger and sadder.
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So, as to the points of the plan: There are a lot easy "gimmes" to Russia. Re-joining the G-8. Gradual dropping of sanctions. Granting of amnesty for everything Russian troops have done. I know this stuff is going to stick in your craw, but little of it affects your country’s future.
Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reports live from Kyiv, Ukraine, as the U.S. House approves a long-stalled aid package for Ukraine. (Fox News)
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And then there’s the other red line : No NATO troops in Ukraine. That would seem to scupper the plan to have foreign peace-keepers on the ground, which has been in the works, to monitor the peace. A possible compromise? They’re stationed around Ukraine’s borders, surveillance keeps a close eye on things and rapid-response forces are at the ready.
There are also a few gimmes for the U.S. in all this, like sharing in the profits of reconstruction. But that’s the price of doing business with President Trump.
As for that Thanksgiving deadline to sign the deal? The president has already signaled he’s willing to let that slide if there’s talking.
And that other deadline? One-hundred days until a new election? I know it’s a tough time for you politically with those corruption charges getting near. It might be something you have to live with.
Anyway, for what it’s worth, that’s my take.
Negotiations will probably sink on any hard discussion of any of these main points. But you know what the old adage is : "jaw-jaw" is better than "war-war."
For the proud people of Ukraine, who have suffered so much during this time, it’s worth your best shot.
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Sincerely,
Greg
Greg Palkot serves as a London-based senior foreign affairs correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in 1998 as a correspondent.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/reporters-notebook-letter-zelesnkyy-re-peace-plan