How do the contrasting receptions of Zelensky and Putin shape perceptions of U.S. alignment, and what do they imply for any peace deal involving Donbas?

Scott Douglas Jacobsen asks Rick Rosner for preliminary thoughts on Ukraine. Rosner highlights optics: Zelensky’s Mar-a-Lago meeting with Trump versus Putin’s earlier red-carpet reception in Alaska, read online as Trump admiring power and leaning toward Russia. Jacobsen summarizes public reporting on peace-talk momentum, proposed security guarantees, and a 20-point plan, while noting territorial issues—Donbas and Zaporizhzhia—remain unsettled and require Putin’s consent. Rosner doubts Putin will concede, questions whether Ukraine would surrender Donbas, and turns to Trump’s increasingly blatant use of power, controversial pardons, family business gains, and institutional limits signaled by midterm risks and many retirements inside his own party.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Before we get to the news item, what are your preliminary thoughts on Ukraine?

Rick Rosner: Zelensky went to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump. The optics of that visit drew a lot of attention online—people immediately compared how Zelensky was received in Florida with the very public red-carpet welcome Putin received in Alaska earlier this year.

When Putin arrived for the Alaska summit, Trump rolled out a red carpet and greeted him personally on the tarmac. The image was unmistakable: an indicted Russian president under international sanctions receiving full honors and a U.S. presidential welcome. Many observers interpreted this as a signal of respect for power. Putin projects strength; Trump admires strength; when Trump sees someone he considers powerful, he treats them more favorably.

Many people online are reading the contrasting receptions as Trump leaning toward Putin’s side in the war. At the same time, Trump has recently granted controversial pardons to high-profile figures convicted of major financial fraud and drug trafficking, which critics argue contradicts his claims of being tough on crime.

I do not have insider information beyond what is publicly reported, but Trump has clearly become more direct and unapologetic in how he uses presidential power. That cannot continue indefinitely. Realistically, he has a bit over three years left in this term, and he could lose the House in the midterms if public opinion continues shifting against him. Any comments?

Jacobsen: According to public reporting from the Mar-a-Lago meeting, Trump said the U.S. and Ukraine are “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to a peace agreement, but the status of territory—especially the Donbas region—remains one of the major unresolved issues. Zelensky said the U.S. and Ukraine have essentially agreed on security guarantees and most points of a 20-point peace plan, while confirming that territorial questions, including Donbas and Zaporizhzhia, remain unsettled. Putin would also have to agree to end the war. It cannot be unilateral. He could stop the war immediately if he chose to.

Rosner: Zelensky or Trump?

Jacobsen: Putin. He started the war, and he could end it.

Rosner: He does not appear willing to make meaningful concessions at this stage.

Jacobsen: The argument is that the war would end if he chose to end it.

Rosner: Is the expectation that Zelensky will give up the Donbas?

Jacobsen: Publicly, Zelensky continues to state he will not give up Ukrainian territory. Since early 2022, Ukraine has supported UN resolutions and advanced peace proposals requiring the full withdrawal of Russian troops from all internationally recognized Ukrainian territory and the reversal of annexations. His official position remains the restoration of all occupied areas.

Rosner: Putin is unlikely to agree to that outcome. That is about as far as my insight into Putin, Zelensky, and Trump goes. With regard to Trump himself: he is seventy-eight, and he was never known for sustained intellectual discipline. He is not unintelligent, but he is mentally undisciplined and has reinforced the same habits for decades. He will likely keep acting in increasingly blatant ways until the midterm elections or the remaining institutions capable of restraining him slow him down.

He has issued highly controversial pardons to prominent figures, many of them convicted of major white-collar crimes.

He is also involved in business arrangements that have significantly increased his family’s reported net worth. Much of that reported growth is connected to complex financial and cryptocurrency-related ventures, which critics argue could shift substantial financial risk onto outside investors. He appears set to continue pursuing whatever benefits him until one of the forces capable of restraining him actually does: the courts, sustained lawsuits, midterm election outcomes, or declining approval ratings pushing members of Congress to distance themselves.

A historically high number of members of the House and Senate—more than fifty—have announced they will not seek reelection. Many are retiring; others are pursuing gubernatorial runs. Seeking a governorship offers more political independence from Trump, while remaining in Congress involves constant proximity to his influence and demands.

The high rate of retirements is widely viewed as a bellwether of political discouragement and institutional fatigue within his own party. It is an indicator of the broader strain the current administration places on the system.

Rick Rosner is an accomplished television writer with credits on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Crank Yankers, and The Man Show. Over his career, he has earned multiple Writers Guild Award nominations—winning one—and an Emmy nomination. Rosner holds a broad academic background, graduating with the equivalent of eight majors. Based in Los Angeles, he continues to write and develop ideas while spending time with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.

Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

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