On the specified date, the U.S. and Russian delegations, led by Rubio and Lavrov respectively, held a four-and-a-half-hour closed-door negotiation in Saudi Arabia. This meeting officially marked the beginning of U.S.-Russia-led efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Under the new order, Ukraine, the other party in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, has completely lost its strategic initiative. Zelensky has fallen from being a "hero defending the democratic world" to a "comedian with minor achievements." Behind this significant shift lies Trump's ambition to reshape U.S.-Russia relations, transform European ideology, and expand U.S. power across Eurasia. Unfortunately, Ukraine has become a casualty of Trump's efforts to reshape the global power structure.

Trump Criticizes Zelensky for "Three Major Sins". Following a meeting between U.S. and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia on a certain date, Trump stated at a subsequent press conference that the prolonged three-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine was primarily the fault of Ukrainian leader Zelensky. On a certain date, U.S. President Trump held a press conference at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. It is evident that Trump is exerting pressure on Zelensky, believing that there is no better method than maximum pressure to handle Zelensky, who has no bargaining chips.

The instigator of the war. At the press conference, when asked why Ukraine was excluded from this round of talks, Trump once again harshly criticized, stating that Ukraine could have reached a peace agreement to end the war earlier but did not do so. As soon as these words were spoken, Ukraine and other Western partners were extremely shocked. Trump's remarks pushed Zelensky into the position of a "war criminal," and he seemed to be warning Europe that Zelensky is the "chief culprit" of the entire conflict. On a certain date, Trump posted another lengthy message on his self-created social media platform "Truth Social," mockingly referring to Zelensky as a "somewhat successful comedian" and commanding him to quickly take action to ensure peace, otherwise Ukraine "will cease to exist."

An unelected dictatorial president. Besides criticizing Zelensky for "starting a war," Trump also questioned the legitimacy of Zelensky's government. In [specific month and year], Zelensky's five-year presidential term expired, but due to the wartime martial law enacted by the Ukrainian government, the new presidential election has been indefinitely postponed. At a press conference on [specific date], Trump urged Ukraine to hold elections as soon as possible, claiming that Zelensky's approval rating had dropped to [specific percentage]. On [specific date], Trump again criticized Zelensky as a "dictator without an election," accusing him of refusing to hold elections and stating that "the only thing he is good at is playing Biden like a 'fiddle'." Facing Trump's aggressive stance, Zelensky countered that the [specific percentage] was false information spread by Russia, and that Trump was living in a "disinformation bubble" created by Russia. He believed that Trump's actions were helping Russia "break its isolation." Subsequently, U.S. Vice President Vance stepped forward to counter Zelensky, warning him that "it's a bad approach" and that "speaking ill of the U.S. President" would not benefit Zelensky but would instead backfire.

Compared to the Biden administration's supportive stance towards Ukraine over the past three years, the Trump administration's attitude has undergone a significant shift. Regardless of whether the percentage of support is genuine or not, it reflects Trump's accelerated strategic alignment with Russia and his distancing and suppression of Ukraine.

Politicians squandering U.S. aid. Over the years, the United States has been the primary provider of aid to Ukraine. Now, Trump is demanding that Ukraine repay this substantial aid, but both sides disagree on the amount of aid provided. Initially, Zelensky insisted that out of the billion dollars approved by the U.S. Congress, Ukraine actually received only about half, approximately billion dollars, and he had no idea where the money went. On a certain day, Trump publicly criticized Zelensky, accusing him of deceiving the U.S. into spending billion dollars to get involved in a war that could not be won and was unnecessary to start, ultimately gaining nothing. He even directly attacked Zelensky personally, claiming that he only profited from the war.

A Sudden Shift in Attitude Under Pressure. Faced with Trump's extreme pressure, Zelensky initially took a tough stance, displaying a strong and unyielding spirit. However, just a week later, he succumbed to Trump's series of tactics. On a certain date, U.S. Treasury Secretary Besant traveled to Kiev to discuss with Zelensky the signing of agreements related to security assurances and the development of Ukraine's mineral resources. Essentially, it was a message to Zelensky that continued U.S. support would require Ukraine to exchange its mineral resources. In response, Zelensky retorted that over the past three years, the U.S. had provided Ukraine with approximately billions of dollars worth of military equipment and billions in direct financial support, totaling less than a hundred billion dollars. Yet now, the Trump administration was demanding Ukraine repay billions of dollars with mineral resources and other means. He accused the U.S. of offering a deal that not only demanded a percentage of Ukraine's mineral resources but also excluded the security provisions Ukraine urgently needed, likening it to extortion and vowing he "would never sell out the country." Implicitly, he was stating that he would not agree to the terms proposed by the U.S. In a certain month and year, when Zelensky met with Trump, he suggested that the U.S. invest in Ukraine's mineral production. However, just a day later, Zelensky's attitude underwent a significant change. On a certain date, after meeting with U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg, he declared on social media that the U.S. and Ukraine had conducted a cordial and productive discussion. He stated, "Ukraine is ready to reach a strong, truly useful agreement with the U.S. President on investment and security issues." In response, U.S. Treasury Secretary Besant bluntly stated that Zelensky had assured him Ukraine would sign a billion-dollar agreement transferring mining rights, though it had not yet been signed. Zelensky's abrupt change in attitude is indeed puzzling—what made him comply with Trump so quickly within a few days? It could be a threat to Zelensky's personal future by the U.S., or perhaps the U.S. offered terms that satisfied Zelensky, or maybe it was a stalling tactic by Zelensky... The exact reasons remain unknown at this time.

What are the calculations behind the US and Ukraine? Overall, the prolonged verbal sparring between Trump and Zelensky has temporarily subsided with Ukraine compromising to the US. Behind this full-blown crossfire, both the US and Ukraine undoubtedly have their own strategic considerations and interest calculations. Trump: Reshaping the power structure to seize a larger share of benefits. In Trump's view, his ultimate strategic consideration is to establish a US power boundary spanning both the eastern and western sides of the Eurasian continent. To this end, he is willing to sacrifice the interests of the European establishment to quickly end the Russia-Ukraine conflict and ease relations with Russia. Therefore, how to distribute the ensuing benefits and assume corresponding responsibilities is the most important. As a businessman, Trump always adheres to his core principle—"America First." He strives to maximize US interests in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict with minimal investment. To this end, Trump has set his sights on Ukraine's mineral resources, especially its abundant rare earth resources. If successful, the US could potentially shake China's dominant position in the global rare earth market. Additionally, Trump hopes to demonstrate to the public his exceptional ability to swiftly respond to the Russia-Ukraine conflict through his tough stance, thereby boosting his domestic support rate.

Zelensky: Fighting with all his might, seeking self-preservation. Faced with a major adjustment in the U.S. strategic layout, Zelensky has few options. What he can do more is to raise his voice to express his stance, create international influence, try to pull Europe to impose some constraints on Trump, and strive to let Ukraine "cut less meat" in the negotiations, ultimately seeking a secure future for himself. To this end, Zelensky has repeatedly declared that decisions on how to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict must not be made without Ukraine. To express his dissatisfaction, he also postponed his planned visit to Saudi Arabia from the original date to a later date, and directed his dissatisfaction directly at Trump, which led to this round of mutual criticism with Trump. However, for some specific reasons, Zelensky has softened his tough stance towards the United States, possibly because Trump offered Zelensky a considerable price.

How will the next steps of the Russia-Ukraine peace talks evolve, and how will Trump stir up the world order? Let's wait and see!