Michael Weiss

But J.D.

Vance doesn't realize one thing.

And this is kind of the paradox of Ukrainian politics here.

Yaroslav Trimofev at the Wall Street Journal did a very good piece saying, ironically, Zelensky's weakness is also Ukraine's strength because if Zelensky were to sign a surrender document now –

At minimum, there would be another Maidan revolution.

Even in the midst of war, the people would turn out in the streets to denounce him.

He would lose all legitimacy as president.

At worst, there could be a civilian military crisis, right?

The Russians like to tell you in 2019, Zelensky rejected the best offer he could ever get

known as the Steinmeier formula, which would basically kind of recognize de facto control of these separatist republics, which they were at the time, or they were couched as at the time, because the far right in Ukraine, the Azov battalion, threatened him with a coup.

That's not quite true.

There was widespread opposition to the Steinmeier formula, including Poroshenko's party, the other parties, and the far right was an element of this, but by no means the driver of the car.

Well, Azov

now has a core.

It used to be the Third Assault Brigade, now it's a core.

So imagine, imagine what the nationalists in Ukraine, armed to the teeth, even more battle-hardened than they were in 2019, will do if they feel like Zelensky is selling out the country, right?

So in his weakness is a kind of, you know, implicit strength.

He can't do this deal, even if he wanted to.

Where's he going to go?

Mar-a-Lago?