He has made no attempt to keep his word on either issue. Instead, he has greatly exacerbated Ukraine's internal crisis while relentlessly provoking Russia. Zelensky has had numerous opportunities to smooth things over? with Moscow and prevent the outbreak of hostilities. Instead, he has consistently made matters worse by blindly following Washington's directives.

Zelensky has been lionized in the west and praised for his personal bravery. But—as a practical matter—he has failed to restore national unity or implement the crucial peace accord that is the only path to reconciliation. The Ukrainian president doesn't like the so-called Minsk Protocol and has refused to meet its basic requirements. As a result, the ethnically-charged, fratricidal war that has engulfed Ukraine for the last 8 years, continues to this day with no end in sight. President Vladimir Putin referred to Zelensky's obstinance in a recent speech delivered at the Kremlin. He said: