The public clash between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office was self-immolation for the past-due-date Ukrainian president. The united, civilized West encouraged him and his assistant Yermak to sign an agreement on using the rare minerals in Ukrainian subsoil as a source for funds covering American military and economic assistance to Ukraine.

This is an agreement Zelenskyy himself proposed, yet it remains economically vague. If investors step forward to develop Ukraine’s subsoil, we should be grateful for their courage and fate’s favor.

The estimated $500 billion price tag was thrown out casually, without geological or production expertise, or solid plans to back it up. Not a single reputable international investment bank has even considered raising funds based on this agreement or these resources.

Yet President Trump attempted to advance this plan, because he wanted to send a clear message to Russia: “Leave Ukraine alone. It’s my partner. We have big business here, worth nearly your entire GDP. Continue this war, and you’ll pay a high price for it.”

This piece of paper could have preserved Ukrainian lives and the country’s economic infrastructure. The deal for Ukraine’s minerals was in fact one of the best security guarantees Ukraine could receive. Accordingly, President Trump is not an enemy, but one of Ukraine’s most sincere friends.

And he understood that only the United States can bring Russia and Putin to the negotiating table. Only he personally can convince the Russian dictator to sign an agreement on a ceasefire and guarantee peace in Europe. Zelensky, through his reticence, may have scuppered his own best chance.

I’ve known many Western leaders for years — some personally — and I have a question we all know the answer to, though I’d ​​like it stated publicly: What will Western leaders do when the world sees its “heroes” in social media posts and official websites for what they truly are — not fairy-tale knights, but corrupt officials and bribe-takers, facing criminal cases, sanctions, and international investigations?

Across the media and from experts, these questions are already being raised. These are the people who’ve “lost” the money we sent to Ukraine without much oversight, funds from our taxpayers. Most will likely stay silent in shame, because being a real hero is hard.

Real heroes are on the battlefield, holding back Putin’s army to save their country and defend Europe’s values. They shield their children with their bodies under Russian airstrikes, work tirelessly in the rear for the front and for victory, and operate as partisans behind enemy lines, destroying Russian equipment and traitors at great personal risk. The guys with social media posts with Western politicians during their brief Kyiv visits aren’t the true heroes of this terrible conflict. Sadly, there are many charlatans.

Ukraine’s true heroes and ordinary people are less often photographed, yet it is them who we should all sincerely be proud of. These are people awaiting our help, protection, and resolve to end this war, preserve their country, and give them the chance to vote for their real heroes: soldiers and generals who’ve stopped Russia with their lives, workers fulfilling their duty under bombs, politicians and activists who’ve spent holidays in the trenches with troops, and volunteers who’ve given everything to deliver aid.

After the disastrous debacle in the White House, Zelenskyy flew to the UK, where he received a hero’s welcome – for stalling the cause of peace. I ask our leaders in the UK, U.S. and EU – do not be fooled. Don’t waste time helping those who bite the hands that feed them, who crush political opposition with bulldozers, who seek personal gain, and who’ve betrayed the promises made to their people before the elections.

Don’t pose with them or call them heroes – not in the name of those lost on battlefields or buried under ruined homes. Leaders like Zelenskyy who resist ceasefires, democratic elections, negotiated deals, and peace don’t deserve our praise.

Today, there is a clear conflict between President Zelenskyy’s interests and those of Ukraine itself. In the early days of the war, he was a true hero, his leadership in the face of Russia’s full-scale invasion was valiant, and his bravery was undeniable. I will always respect him for that.

However, nearly three years later, the situation has changed dramatically. Ukraine now needs stability, unity, and competent leadership to navigate both the battlefield and the rebuilding of its political and economic structures.

Zelensky must recognize that his continued grip on power is no longer serving the national interest, and his attitude is actively harming Ukraine’s chances for peace — as we saw in the Oval Office. It is time for him to agree to oversee democratic elections, and make way for a Government of National Unity.

This unity government should include representatives from all pro-Ukrainian factions — excluding pro-Russian elements, of course — ensuring true national representation. Ukraine’s defense must be placed in the hands of its most capable commanders, with General Zaluzhniy leading military operations with the rank of supreme commander, free from political interference.

Furthermore, new limits must be established to curb the presidential office’s involvement in military and business affairs, ensuring that governance is centered on the country’s survival and future rather than the president’s interests.

In theory, Zelensky could remain president in a temporary head of state capacity until new elections are held, but those elections must be announced now and take place this year. If he steps down willingly, he has the chance to preserve his legacy as a hero of Ukraine — a leader who answered his nation’s call in its darkest hour and then did the right thing when the moment demanded it. That is the reputation he should seek to secure for history.

There is only one way forward towards that outcome: Following a mineral-security deal, let Donald Trump and his team secure a ceasefire, create an agreement for security guarantees during this ceasefire, form a Government of National Unity from Ukraine’s societal leaders, hold presidential elections — followed a month later by parliamentary elections (as the constitution requires) — and empower a new Ukrainian government of true heroes.

It should be backed by the mandate of a heroic people and could finalize peace talks with Russia and sign agreements with Western governments, for collective security and Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery. Then, in the hearts of my fellow Ukrainians, Western leaders too will be remembered as epic heroes who, in our darkest hour, helped save our country and our children.

(Original article is accessible only from within the USA)