Trump portrays Ukraine as a tribe, where everything is traded for mere trinkets, according to Sergey Fursa.

The world through force, Trump-style: applying pressure to the victim while aiding the aggressor.

We once envisioned "peace through strength" differently. Now Ukraine is being compelled to sign an agreement that has nothing to do with the peace process, and negotiations with Russia begin with the phrase, "I know they are strong and could conquer all of Ukraine, but they are sitting at the negotiating table of their own volition."

I can just picture how successful New York developers operate. How negotiations unfold when they want to buy a new plot. "I know, my friend, that you are wealthy and don’t need to sell this land. You’re doing this simply because I’m a cool guy and you like me. So, I’ll offer you the highest price because you don’t need to sell, creditors aren’t pressuring you, your children don’t need to pay for expensive universities, and your wife hasn’t hired the best divorce lawyer. Thus, here’s a price that’s double the market rate, and we have a deal."

Isn't it something like that?

And what about the mineral resources agreement? If Trump had said that Ukraine or its authorities were unwilling to negotiate, and therefore he was being tough, that would make sense. But no. He himself confirms that the Ukrainian authorities want negotiations. Then he throws a "you owe us" agreement on the table, reminiscent of the Spanish conquistadors negotiating with indigenous people. He seems to want to achieve some success during his presidency at our expense.

Now they’re saying, either you repay a debt that doesn’t exist, or we cut off your Starlinks and won’t sell you air defense missiles, so Putin can improve his position on the battlefield and destroy energy resources? This is peace through strength.

I don’t know if Zelensky will sign the agreement that Trump wants from us. Whether any agreement will be signed that could fundamentally change while only appearing to be a victory for Trump. We don’t know if we can turn this agreement into something reasonable.

And it’s hardly the first time I would understand if Ukraine sent Washington in the direction of a Russian warship.

I realize that it’s important for us to have American investments, which not only boost GDP but also influence lobbying in the future. I also understand that for at least four years, we will have to deal with a United States like this, and Trump isn’t going anywhere.

But I also cannot accept an agreement that places obligations on Ukraine to compensate for non-existent debts. When Ukraine is reduced to the status of indigenous people, where everything is taken for beads. When Ukraine is pressured, blackmailed with even deeper embraces from Putin, justifying this with the tenets of Russian propaganda.

I have always supported external management. But now Washington needs external management, not Kyiv…

For us, future revenue distribution from American investments is acceptable. But not debts owed to Americans based on non-existent obligations.

So if the Ukrainian authorities send the Americans after the Russian warship because they cannot achieve a reformulation of the agreement, I will not criticize the Ukrainian authorities. I will support our own. Because that is true sovereignty. We are not fighting a decolonial war with Russia to fall into colonial dependency on New York developers. We have had enough of Kyiv developers and their greed.

I will also welcome the deal if it can be brought into a reasonable form and pertains exclusively to future rental payments for the minerals that Americans or their partners will extract.

I want the Ukrainian authorities to feel supported and have room for maneuver. Even if that maneuver requires sending Americans a non-public message. Even when further support is at risk. The U.S. is not friends right now. Therefore, we can speak firmly with them. They are no longer supporting democracy in Ukraine; they are not promoting reforms. So why should we care about their feelings? Trump doesn’t like us, but he is dependent on American society. We need to leverage and rely on that dependency, understanding that Trump has his own motivations. To support Ukraine. And to bring some sort of agreement to his voters. Because as of now, he has nothing to boast about. He has already failed on promised deportations. He has failed in the fight against inflation. He has already been methodically sent away by Canadians, Mexicans, Danes, and Arabs.

And compensating for all this at our expense is not a very good idea.