JUST IN: First Signals Out of Riyadh—U.S.-Russia Peace Plan Includes a Move That Will Infuriate Zelensky!
In a significant development that could reshape the geopolitical landscape of Eastern Europe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Aide to the President Yuri Ushakov, and notable Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The gathering marks a pivotal moment in U.S.-Russia relations under the Trump administration, focusing on crafting a peace plan for Ukraine that includes a contentious proposal: the holding of new elections in Ukraine.
Secretary Rubio highlighted the unique position of President Trump in these negotiations, stating, “No one else has been able to bring something together like what we saw today because Trump is the only leader in the world that can… The only thing President Trump is trying to do is bring about peace.” This statement underscores the administration’s belief in Trump’s capability to mediate between conflicting parties, leveraging his reputation as a dealmaker.
Video:
🚨Secretary of State Marco Rubio:
"No one else has been able to bring something together like what we saw today because Trump is the only leader in the world that can… The only thing President Trump is trying to do is bring about peace."
pic.twitter.com/SXzeyFI62t— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 18, 2025
The bombshell proposal, as reported by Fox News, involves pushing for new elections in Ukraine, a move that is almost certain to provoke a strong reaction from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky has been resistant to the idea of holding elections during the ongoing conflict, citing martial law and the impracticalities of organizing a fair vote amidst a war.
This peace plan, which includes new elections, is seen by some as a masterstroke to end the conflict by addressing the legitimacy of Ukraine’s leadership. Critics of Zelensky argue that this move could dismantle what they perceive as a “puppet regime” or a “fake democracy,” especially one that has been heavily supported by Western financial aid and media. The proposal is framed as an opportunity to test Zelensky’s popularity without the influence of external support, potentially exposing whether his leadership would hold up under the scrutiny of an election without the backing of U.S. taxpayer money.
This has been met with significant resistance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy has consistently maintained that holding elections during the ongoing conflict is unfeasible, citing substantial legal and logistical challenges. He emphasized, “During the war, there can be no elections. The legislation has to be changed, the Constitution as well. There are big challenges, not just legal but also human challenges.”
Zelenskyy has, on our dime:
Seized control of the media
Seized property from opposition party members
Closed churches
Cancelled elections
Banned political dissent and oppositionThat's interesting. What do we call people who do this again?
— Shawn Farash (@Shawn_Farash) February 18, 2025
Bruce Hoenshell is a military historian, he is one of the most prolific conservative writers today, often churning out multiple columns per week. His writings tend to focus on international themes, modern warfare. Style Sampling: “ It is not that we need social networking and Internet searches more than food and fuel, but rather that we have the impression that cool zillionaires in flip-flops are good while uncool ones in wingtips are quite bad.”
This is not a matter of making Zelensky angry. It is something that would be a violation of the Ukrainian Constitution. The Russians are hoping to be able to rig the election and get someone that is more amenable to Putin’s thuggery. They don’t care if it is a violation of Ukraine’s basic law.