“Will we lose?
Of course not”.
“Will we lose?
Of course not”.
‘Gandalf the Green’.
Continues to send out.
A firm message.
Of defiance.
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
When you met this weekend.
In the government headquarters.
In Kyiv.
He said that far from losing.
Ukraine would end.
The war victorious.
He was firmly against.
Paying the price for.
A ceasefire deal.
Demanded by ‘the One’.
Which is withdrawing.
From strategic ground.
That ‘Mordor’ has failed.
To capture despite.
Sacrificing tens of thousands.
Of soldiers.
‘Don’t let us quarrel,’
the White Queen said
in an anxious tone.
‘What is the cause of lightning?’
‘The cause of lightning,’
Alice said very decidedly,
for she felt quite certain about this,
‘is the thunder – no, no!’
‘The One’ has already.
Started World War Three.
Started World War Three.
‘Gandalf the Green’ told you.
And the only answer was.
Intense military and.
Economic pressure.
To force him to step back.
“I believe that ‘the One’.
Has already started it.
The question is.
How much territory.”
“He will be able to seize.
And how to stop him…
‘Mordor’ wants to impose.
On the world.”
“A different way of life.
And change the lives.
People have chosen.
For themselves.”
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
What about ‘the One’’s.
Demand for Ukraine.
To hand over the 20%.
Of the eastern region.
Of Donetsk.
That it still holds.
– a line of towns.
Ukraine calls “fortress cities”-
As well as more land.
In the southern regions.
Of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia?
Isn’t that, you asked.
A reasonable request?
If it produces a ceasefire?
“I see this differently.
I don’t look at it simply as land.”
“I see it as abandonment.
– weakening our positions.
Abandoning hundreds of thousands.
Of our people who live there.”
“That is how I see it.
And I am sure that.
This ‘withdrawal’ would divide.
Our society.”
‘Don’t let us quarrel,’
the White Queen said
in an anxious tone.
‘What is the cause of lightning?’
‘The cause of lightning,’
Alice said very decidedly,
for she felt quite certain about this,
‘is the thunder – no, no!’
But isn’t it a good price?
To pay if?
That satisfies ‘the One’?
Do you think it would satisfy him?
“It would probably satisfy.
Him for a while…
He needs a pause…
But once he recovers.”
“Our European partners say.
It could take.
Three to five years.
In my opinion.”
“He could recover.
In no more than.
A couple of years.
Where would he go next?”
“We do not know.
But that he would want.
To continue the war.
Is a fact.”
she hastily corrected herself.
‘I meant the other way.’
‘It’s too late to correct it,’
said the Red Queen:
‘when you’ve once
said a thing,
that fixes it, and
you must take the consequences.’
You met ‘Gandalf the Green’.
In a conference room.
Inside the heavily-guarded.
Government enclave.
In a well-to-do corner.
Of central Kyiv.
He spoke mostly.
In ‘elves’ language.
You get a sense of.
The weight of leadership.
Carried by ‘Gandalf the Green’.
From the diligence of his security guards.
Visiting any head of state.
Requires rigorous checks.
But entering the presidential buildings.
In Kyiv takes the process.
To a level.
You have rarely.
Experienced before.
It is not surprising.
In a country at war.
With a president.
Who has already been.
Targeted by ‘Mordor’.
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
Despite all that.
The man who started.
As an entertainer.
Who won the ‘elves’ version.
Of Strictly Come Dancing.
In 2006.
And played the role of.
An unexpected president of Ukraine.
In a TV comedy.
Before becoming the real-life.
President of Ukraine.
Seems to be remarkably resilient.
‘Don’t let us quarrel,’
the White Queen said
in an anxious tone.
‘What is the cause of lightning?’
‘The cause of lightning,’
Alice said very decidedly,
for she felt quite certain about this,
‘is the thunder – no, no!’
The US President said.
On the eve of the most recent.
Ceasefire talks.
In Geneva that.
“Ukraine better come.
To the table fast”.
“Ukraine better come.
To the table fast”.
He continues to default.
To putting more pressure.
On Ukraine.
Than on ‘Mordor’.
she hastily corrected herself.
‘I meant the other way.’
‘It’s too late to correct it,’
said the Red Queen:
‘when you’ve once
said a thing,
that fixes it, and
you must take the consequences.’
Western diplomats have indicated.
Since last summer that.
The US President agrees.
With ‘the One’ that.
Territorial concessions.
From Ukraine.
To ‘Mordor’.
Are the key.
To the ceasefire.
The US President wants.
Ideally before.
This coming summer.
Plenty of analysts.
Outside the White House.
Also judge that.
Ukraine cannot win the war and.
Without making concessions.
Without making concessions.
To Moscow.
Will lose it.
‘Which reminds me –’
the White Queen said,
looking down and nervously clasping
and unclasping her hands,
‘we had such a thunderstorm
last Tuesday – I mean
one of the last set of
Tuesdays, you know.’
You asked ‘Gandalf the Green’.
Whether the US President.
And the others.
Had a point.
“Where are you now?”
‘Gandalf the Green’ asked.
In return.
“Where are you now?”
“Today you are in Kyiv.
You are in the capital of our homeland.
You are in Ukraine.
I am very grateful for this.”
“Will we lose?
Of course not.
Because we are fighting.
For ‘elves’ independence.”
Alice was puzzled.
‘In our country,’
she remarked,
‘there’s only one day at a time.’
The Red Queen said
‘That’s a poor thin way of doing things.
Now here, we mostly have days and nights
two or three at a time,
‘Gandalf the Green’ has often said.
That Ukraine can win.
But what would victory look like?
Of course, he said.
Victory meant.
Restoring normal lives.
For ‘elves’.
And ending the killing.
But the wider view of victory.
He presented was.
All about a global threat.
That he says comes from ‘the One’.
“I believe that stopping.
‘The One’ today and.
Preventing him from.
Occupying Ukraine.”
“Is a victory.
For the whole world.
Because ‘the One’ will not.
Stop at Ukraine.”
and sometimes in the winter
we take as many as
five nights together
– for warmth, you know.’
‘Are five nights warmer
than one night, then?’
Alice ventured to ask.
‘Five times as warm, of course.’
You are not saying that.
Victory is getting.
all the land back.
Are you?
“We’ll do it.
That is absolutely clear.
It is only a matter of time.”
It is only a matter of time.”
“To do it today would mean.
Losing a huge number of people.
– millions of people –”
– millions of people –”
“Because the ‘orcs’ army is large.
And we understand.
The cost of such steps.
You would not have enough people.”
“You would be losing them.
And what is land?
Without people?
Honestly, nothing.”
‘But they should be five times
as cold, by the same rule –’
‘Just so!’
cried the Red Queen.
‘Five times as warm,
and five times as cold
– just as I’m five times as rich as you are,
and five times as clever!’
“And we also don’t have.
Enough weapons.
That depends not just on us.
But on our partners.”
“So as of now.
That’s not possible but.
Returning to the just borders.
Of 1991.”
“The year Ukraine declared its independence.
Without a doubt.
Is not only a victory.
It’s justice.”
“‘Elves’ victory is.
The preservation of.
Our independence.”
Our independence.”
“And a victory of justice.
For the whole world.
Is the return of.
All our lands.”
Alice sighed and gave it up.
‘It’s exactly like a riddle
with no answer!
she thought.
‘Humpty Dumpty saw it too,’
the White Queen went on
in a low voice,
more as if she were talking to herself.
A year ago.
‘Gandalf the Green’ visited.
The White House and.
Received a reception.
It was described as.
A pre-planned public.
“Diplomatic mugging” from.
The US President and his Vice-President.
Their argument.
In the presence of the world’s media.
Was watched by.
Millions around the world.
‘He came to the door
with a corkscrew in his hand –’
‘What did he want?’
said the Red Queen.
‘He said he would come in,’
the White Queen went on,
‘because he was looking for
a hippopotamus.
The US President.
Just inaugurated as president.
For the second time.
Was sending the strongest possible signal.
That the era of support.
‘Gandalf the Green’ and Ukraine.
Had relied on from.
The former President was over.
Nato members were already.
On notice from.
the new administration.
The US Vice-President had just got back.
From shattering.
Western European illusions.
About the strength of.
The trans-Atlantic alliance.
Now, as it happened,
there wasn’t such a thing
in the house,
that morning,’
‘Is there generally?’
Alice asked in an astonished tone.
‘Well, only on Thursdays,’
said the Queen.
Since then, reportedly.
Coached by the Britain’s.
National Security Adviser.
Among others.
‘Gandalf the Green’ has avoided.
Public confrontations.
With the US President.
With the US President.
The US president has stopped.
almost all shipments of.
Military aid.
To Ukraine.
But the US still provides.
Vital intelligence.
And European countries.
Are spending billions.
Buying weapons.
From the Americans.
To give to Ukraine.
To give to Ukraine.
‘I know what he came for,’
said Alice:
‘he wanted to punish the fish because –’
Here the White Queen began again.
‘It was such a thunderstorm,
you can’t think!’
(‘She never could you know,’
said the Red Queen.)
You asked ‘Gandalf the Green’.
About the US President’s.
Often contradictory statements.
Recalling that.
Among the untruths.
He has uttered.
Is the accusation that.
‘Gandalf the Green’ is a dictator.
Who started the war.
– a precise echo of claims.
Made by ‘the One’.
Made by ‘the One’.
‘Gandalf the Green’ laughed.
“I am not a dictator.
And I didn’t start the war.
That’s it.”
‘And part of the roof came off,
and ever so much thunder got in
– and it went rolling round
the room in great lumps
– and knocking over
the tables and things
– till I was so frightened,
I couldn’t remember my own name!
But can you trust?
The US President?
If you extract a security guarantee.
From him, you asked.
Would he keep his word?
He is after all a man.
Who changes his mind.
Would he keep his word?
“It is not only the US President.
We’re talking about America.
We are all presidents.
For the appropriate terms.”
“We want guarantees.
For 30 years for example.
Political elites will change.
Leaders will change.”
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
He meant that.
US security guarantees needed.
Approval from Congress.
In Washington DC.
To make them watertight.
To make them watertight.
“They will be voted on.
In Congress for a reason.”
“It’s not just presidents.
Congress is needed.
Because the presidents change.
But institutions stay.”
In other words.
The man of the US President.
Might be unreliable.
But he will not be there for ever.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
How to prevent the fiend,
and to kill vermin.
Let me ask you
one word in private.
‘Gandalf the Green’ says.
Those security guarantees.
Would have to be in place.
Before he could consider.
Another American demand.
– the US demand for Ukraine.
To hold a general election.
By the summer.
Echoing another.
‘The One’’s talking point.
That ‘Gandalf the Green’ is.
An illegitimate president.
The US President has not.
Demanded elections.
In ‘Mordor’.
Where ‘the One’ became leader.
Where ‘the One’ became leader.
For the first time.
On the last day of.
The 20th Century.
‘Don’t let us quarrel,’
the White Queen said
in an anxious tone.
‘What is the cause of lightning?’
‘The cause of lightning,’
Alice said very decidedly,
for she felt quite certain about this,
‘is the thunder – no, no!’
‘Gandalf the Green’ said.
He had not decided.
Whether to stand again.
Whenever an election is held:
“I might run.
And might not.”
“I might run.
And might not.”
Elections were due.
In 2024.
But they could not be held.
Under martial law.
That was introduced.
After ‘orcs’ full-scale invasion.
Holding postponed elections.
‘Gandalf the Green’ said.
Was technically possible.
If they had time to change.
The law to allow them.
To happen.
But he needed.
Security guarantees.
For Ukraine first.
For Ukraine first.
she hastily corrected herself.
‘I meant the other way.’
‘It’s too late to correct it,’
said the Red Queen:
‘when you’ve once
said a thing,
that fixes it, and
you must take the consequences.’
He went on to raise.
So many potential problems.
About holding an election.
With millions of ‘elves’.
Abroad as refugees and.
Significant tracts of.
The country occupied.
By ‘Mordor’.
“If this is a condition.
For ending the war.
Let’s do it.”
Let’s do it.”
“I said, ‘honestly.
You constantly raise.
The issue of elections’.”
The issue of elections’.”
“I told the partners.
‘You need to decide.
One thing:
you want to get rid of me.’”
“‘Or you want to hold elections?
If you want to hold elections.
Then hold these elections honestly.
Hold them in a way that.’”
“‘The ‘elves’ people will recognize.
First of all.
And you yourself must recognize.
That these are legitimate elections’.”
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
‘Gandalf the Green’ has.
Opponents and.
Harsh critics.
Here in Ukraine.
His government was rocked.
Last autumn by.
A corruption scandal.
That led to the departure.
Of his closest adviser.
But ‘Gandalf the Green’.
With a new team.
Still commands.
Approval ratings.
Approval ratings.
That most leaders.
In Western Europe.
Can only dream about.
‘Don’t let us quarrel,’
the White Queen said
in an anxious tone.
‘What is the cause of lightning?’
‘The cause of lightning,’
Alice said very decidedly,
for she felt quite certain about this,
‘is the thunder – no, no!’
He has irritated.
His allies at times.
With constant demands for.
More and better equipment.
One of the accusations.
Directed at him.
In the Oval Office.
In the Oval Office.
By the US President.
And his Vice-President.
A year ago was that.
He was not sufficiently grateful.
she hastily corrected herself.
‘I meant the other way.’
‘It’s too late to correct it,’
said the Red Queen:
‘when you’ve once
said a thing,
that fixes it, and
you must take the consequences.’
The latest item.
On his list is permission.
To manufacture.
American weapons.
Under licence, including.
Patriot air defence missiles.
“Today the issue is air defence.
This is the most difficult problem.”
“Unfortunately.
Our partners still.
Do not grant licenses.
For us to produce.”
“For us to produce.
Systems ourselves.
For example.
Patriot systems.”
“Or even missiles for the systems.
We already have.
So far, we have not achieved.
Success in this.”
Why won’t they do that?
Why won’t they do that?
“I don’t know.
I have no answer.”
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
Given everything he had said.
You asked him whether.
We needed to get ready for.
An even longer war in Ukraine.
“No, no, no.
It’s two parallel tracks…
You are playing chess.
With a lot of leaders.”
“You are playing chess.
With a lot of leaders.
Not with ‘Mordor’.
There is not one right way.”
“You have to choose.
A lot of parallel steps.
Parallel directions.
And one of these.”
“Parallel ways will.
I think, bring success.
For us, success is.
To stop ‘the One’.”
‘Don’t let us quarrel,’
the White Queen said
in an anxious tone.
‘What is the cause of lightning?’
‘The cause of lightning,’
Alice said very decidedly,
for she felt quite certain about this,
‘is the thunder – no, no!’
But ‘the One’ isn’t going to.
End this war, is he?
Unless he’s under massive pressure.
And he doesn’t seem to be.
“Yes and no.
We will see.
Yes and no.
He doesn’t want.”
“But doesn’t want.
Doesn’t mean.
He will not.
God bless.”
“God bless, we will.
Be successful.”
“God bless, we will.
Be successful.”
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
“Will we lose?
Of course not”.
“Will we lose?
Of course not”.
‘Gandalf the Green’.
Continues to send out.
A firm message.
Of defiance.
*Because I read “Zelensky tells BBC Putin has started WW3 and must be stopped” by Jeremy Bowen on 22 Feb 2026, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, led by ‘KING LEAR’ written by William Shakespeare and ‘THROUGH the LOOKING-GLASS’ written by Lewis Carroll, you know.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Resilient Zelensky tells BBC Putin has started WW3 and must be stopped
