VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY STANDS STUPID DURING RUSSIAN PEACE TALKS

Written by Michael Thervil

Photographer(s) unknown

Why Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the uninitiated of the world are scratching their heads trying to figure out why Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t come to the peace talks that were held in Istanbul, Türkiye yesterday is because they simply don’t understand the power move made by political chess master Vladimir Putin. What we are saying here is that while the politically uninitiated of the world were busy playing a game of checkers, President Vladimir Putin was playing a game of chess. Instead of appearing for the peace talks himself in Türkiye, President Putin sent his lower negotiating team to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This left Volodymyr Zelenskyy standing in Türkiye with his hands in pockets, bothered and unsure of what to do.

This only demonstrated Volodymyr Zelenskyy lack of ability to not only conduct strategic negotiations, but it also demonstrated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy failed to understand what Sociologists call “symbolic interaction”. By definition, Sociologist George Herbert Mead defined Symbolic Interaction as “the ongoing use of language and gestures in anticipation of how the other will react”. This is what both the politically uninitiated and Volodymyr Zelenskyy failed to do. 

If President Putin were to physically show up for this peace meeting, it would legitimize Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the world stage as a person of authority. And since Volodymyr Zelenskyy's term in office as Ukraine’s President has expired last year Volodymyr Zelenskyy is no longer to be considered a head of state. In fact, the opposite is true; and this begs the question: “why would President Putin, a head of state, give a now commoner such as Volodymyr Zelenskyy access to the highest level of recognition on the international stage?”

This is what is meant by the political uninitiated and Volodymyr Zelenskyy not understanding the power more made by political chess master Vladimir Putin. The inexperience and lack of political and diplomatic affairs was also demonstrated on Volodymyr Zelenskyy's part as he called President Putin a “phony”. Adding insult to injury, the European Union demonstrated their ignorance and inability to navigate diplomatic spaces  by criticizing President Putin for not “physically being there” and sending a low-level negotiations team. The one person President Putin will meet face to face with will be American President Donald Trump. The reason for this is because unlike Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Trump is a head of state.

The political and geopolitical landscape that we have today is both simplistic and complex simultaneously. With that ability to not only read between the lines, but peer through the veil of blurred lines, while making sense of the metaphorical actions and speech made by many is a soft power skill set that only comes through years of navigating, observing, learning, and taking part in the global political landscape.