"Blessed are the peacemakers..."

 

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."

Matthew 5:9

The picture above is actually quite astounding. Here sits the President of the United States, behind the Resolute Desk, surrounded by many of the leaders of European countries, as well as the President of Ukraine. Why are they there? To talk about golf or climate issues? No - they are there to be peacemakers. To help bring this horrible war in Ukraine to a swift conclusion.

Who is missing from this picture? Oh yes, the guy who started it. That would be Vladimir Putin. But that was the purpose of the meeting. To get Zelenskyy prepped for the next meeting, which will be YUGE. A one on one between Zelenskyy and Putin. To hopefully be held within two weeks at a location yet to be determined. Assuming that meeting goes well, the next meeting would be with Zelenskyy, Putin and Trump, to cement the deal.

If that is the case, why have half of Europe in Washington to prep for this meeting? Quite simply this - since the "land swap" looks iffy at best right now, the next best thing is iron clad security guarantees. In other words, outside of letting Ukraine in NATO (which would be a deal breaker with Putin), give Ukraine Article 5 type NATO protection. It would mean boots on the ground, to protect the remaining land in Ukraine. That is the deal, and it sounds like Putin might bite - that is, if he can keep the land he has stolen.

My thought on how Ukraine might look after the war is over, is similar to Korea. One part of Ukraine will be occupied by Russia, and the other part will be Ukraine. Between those two parts would be a barrier of sorts. Maybe not to the extent that North and South Korea have it, but still a barrier, nevertheless. As with any war once the bullets stop flying, it takes years, maybe decades for the acrimony to cease. Keeping the Russians and Ukrainians separated as much as possible will help maintain this fragile peace.

I also think the Euro NATO counties are going to act like a big brother to Ukraine once this is over. They, plus the US, will help with the rebuilding. It will take a long, long time to rebuild what the Russians have broken. The people that Russia killed, will never be coming back. And that is a scar that all the money in the world cannot fix. Putin may have ended up getting some parts of Ukraine, but it cost him a million troops, half of his armor, and what little of a good reputation he might have had. He will be the world's greatest living war criminal, a pariah, a very, very bad man. 

To Donald Trump, to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, I say this - God's speed. You are doing the work of the Lord right now. You are being peacemakers. As Matthew Chapter Nine, Verse 5 states, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Can I get an AMEN?