Why Zelensky should pick Putin’s ‘direct peace talks’ offer over a Trump-mediated deal

Russia says it’s ready to talk peace – with Ukraine, bypassing Washington. Kyiv says it’s open to the idea. In 2022, Ukraine and Russia came close to a peace deal,until the West stepped in. From Boris Johnson’s surprise visit to Kyiv, to reports that the U.S., Germany, and France shut down negotiations, the message was clear: no deal with Moscow, keep fighting. In this episode of Grey Zone, Ananya Dutta revisits those critical moments – how the Minsk Agreement was used and abused, how NATO’s expansion fueled distrust, and why Ukraine may once again be falling into a familiar trap. Can Kyiv afford to rely on a West that keeps walking away when things get tough? Or is it time to stop outsourcing peace? While President Zelensky faces pressure at home and abroad, Russia is making its move, asking to talk directly. But is Kyiv in any position to choose? With the West’s track record of walking away-from Saigon to Kabul-is Ukraine doomed to become another footnote in its long list of abandoned allies?