Ukraine finds itself in a zugzwang after White House scandal

What makes this situation bad?  

Paired with the weapons freeze, it puts the victim of aggression — Ukraine — in a corner, forcing it to make concessions to the aggressor just to get back to the table.  

It would have been in Ukraine's interest to "skip a turn" and wait to see if Trump and Putin could strike a deal — or if they’d end up with something so blatantly unfair that it would be impossible to accept.  

But after Ukraine handed Trump the perfect excuse to freeze military aid, that’s no longer an option. Now, Ukraine's position is what’s known as zugzwang — where every available move only makes things worse.  

The best move Ukraine might still have is stepping through that "open door" with a proposal presented not by Ukraine alone, but jointly with the UK and France (and maybe Germany). But that takes time — and Trump is already pushing the country into a zeitnot.  

This really is a masterclass in negotiation — from a position of strength, with zero mercy for the other side’s mistakes.  

And in an ideal world (if we’re dreaming), Ukraine would have a government of national unity, a return to functioning institutions, and a strong, independent prime minister to lead negotiations with Trump — instead of the amateur duo of Zelenskyy and Yermak. But, as always, that’s wishful thinking.

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About the author. Oleksiy Panych, philosopher, member of the Ukrainian Center of PEN International, blogger.

The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.