Zelensky, Netanyahu, and Trump: A World in Crisis

…today, the world seems to be going back to the time before World War I when there were no clear rules. It feels like might is right, and everyone is on their own. Right now, humanity is struggling. Powerful leaders and nations act like terrorists and bandits, playing God. The most powerful among them are Zelensky, Netanyahu, and Trump.

There are one hundred and thirty wars happening around the world today, and you can connect many of them to these three leaders.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine stands out as the smartest strategist among them. He often plays the victim card. Recently, he linked two major conflicts: the US-Iranian war and the Russo-Ukrainian war. He attacked Iranian commercial ships in the Caspian Sea, targeting the Anna. This attack killed one Iranian sailor and injured others.

Zelensky claimed these ships were fair game because they were supposedly carrying military supplies. In his twisted reasoning, the attacks were retaliation. He said Iran was indirectly attacking Ukraine by supplying drones and military tech to Russia, so they deserved to be hit. He even demanded that Iran stop helping Russia and warned them not to retaliate.

But Iran is not backing down. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said, “Any attack on Iran always comes at a cost, and that remains true today; the US and Israel are well aware of this. Ukraine may soon learn that Iran does not ignore attacks.”

Zelensky seems unconcerned about where these actions might lead, even if it sparks a global conflict, as long as he gets what he wants in the short term. US President Donald Trump advised him to end the pointless war with Russia. Instead of listening, Zelensky hid under the European Union, hoping to outlast Trump. With the US tied up in a difficult war with Iran, Zelensky saw a chance to strike Iran and win favor with Trump and the US government.

Zelensky might think that if Iran strikes back, Ukraine will get involved in the US-Iran war. This could bring back US military support for Ukraine against Russia.

Netanyahu is another warlike leader, fighting in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon. Even when the US-Iran peace deal included Lebanon, Netanyahu insisted Lebanon couldn't join the agreement. He has attacked the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), killing seven people without facing any consequences.

Zelensky’s trick is to always act like the underdog and grab opportunities. He was a lawyer who made a name as a comedian. He starred in a TV show, Servant of the People, where he played a teacher who got tired of corruption and became president. In reality, he turned his comedy career into a political party and ran for president.

During the election, he realized people wanted peace, so he campaigned on that promise. His rival, President Petro Poroshenko, wanted to continue the wars. But once Zelensky won, he went to war. For him, trickery is part of politics.

When the Russo-Ukrainian war fully started, peace talks occurred in Belarus. Ukrainian negotiator Denys Kireev thought Zelensky was serious about peace, so he pushed for a peaceful end to the war. When he returned to Kyiv, he was arrested on 5 March 2022 and killed. Zelensky also gained votes in 2019 by saying he would only serve one term. Two years later, he said he wasn’t sure anymore. When his term ends in May 2024, he hasn’t stepped down or held new elections; as long as the war goes on, he plans to stay in power. Netanyahu, like Zelensky, has used war to keep his position. He is facing criminal charges for bribery, fraud, and other crimes.

Netanyahu is in conflicts across Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon. Even with the US-Iran peace deal, he insisted Lebanon could not be part of it. He has attacked UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, killing seven without facing any punishment. The Geneva Conventions make it illegal to intentionally kill civilians in war. That’s what Netanyahu specializes in. He kills civilians. While bombing hospitals in Gaza, he was told this was a crime. Netanyahu responded that Hamas command centers are under the beds of babies and in incubators but never showed any proof.

Trump is also trying to destroy Cuba by starving its people, denying them fuel and electricity, and threatening any country that trades with it. He claimed Cuba would fall apart within a month. Seven months later, that country is still standing strong, much to his embarrassment and that of his allies.

President Trump isn’t as clever as Zelensky but is just as warlike as Netanyahu. In the past nineteen months, since he returned to power, he has been involved in conflicts from Iran to Venezuela. He kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. He said this was to hold Maduro accountable for drug trafficking. But he can't even bring him to trial because the charges are fake. Now he plans to start the trial on 1 June 2027, eighteen months after the kidnapping. Trump is also waging a fierce war against Iran. The real question is: Why does the US want to destroy Iran? Why do they think they have the right to control the Strait of Hormuz from fifteen thousand kilometers away?

Trump is also trying to drown Cuba by deliberately starving its people and refusing them basic needs like fuel and electricity. He vowed to punish any country that trades with it. He promised Cuba would collapse in one month. Seven months later, that country continues to survive and fight.

One big question in history is: If Zelensky, Netanyahu, and Trump had not been in power, would the world be better or worse? Is it just a coincidence that these three leaders are in charge at the same time? What is clear is that the world is getting worse. After World War I, when around twenty million people died, humanity shouted, “Never again!” They wanted to avoid such mindless killing. To make sure this wouldn’t happen again, the League of Nations was formed. But just over thirty years later, humanity faced even worse massacres, with over 85 million deaths. To prevent this, the United Nations was established in 1945, and several agreements were made to promote peace, respect for nations, and human rights.

But today, the world seems to be going back to the time before World War I when there were no clear rules. It feels like might is right, and everyone is on their own. Right now, humanity is struggling. Powerful leaders and nations act like terrorists and bandits, playing God. The strongest among them are Zelensky, Netanyahu, and Trump.