Zelensky is between a rock and a hard place-either accept Trump's 28 point plan for peace which overwhelmingly benefits Russia or else risk losing US support completely and face yet another hard winter and increasing loss of civilian lives and destruction of his country. Trump has easily side stepped those European allies who are members of the toothless "Alliance of the Willing" and graciously allowed Ukraine until Thanksgiving to consider.

Read through the details of his plan and it is clear that it demands little short of capitulation from Ukraine and despite the use of seized Russian assets to help rebuild the country it allows Putin all the things he demanded at the outset and more. Several US politicians, former diplomats and ex-military leaders have likened Trump's plan to the infamous 1938 Munich Agreement but the Orange One has already replaced experienced negotiators with flunkies like former real estate mogul Witkoff and any ethical concerns won't even enter his head.

Of course, any peace negotiation would require concessions from both sides but Trump's particular plan is so heavily weighted in favour of Putin it would be almost laughable if the potential consequences weren't so dire. We can quite rightly moan about Starmer and our own crop of useless and failing politicians but surely none of them would sink to the level of this current POTUS. How many previous presidents must be rolling in their graves at his actions and behaviour? The bottom line is that, as POTUS, Trump has the power and leverage to ask far much more of Putin in order to create a fairer and more just peace settlement but has chosen not to. One question should be to ask why.