To preview the conclusion: "This looks pretty bad for Ukraine. If this is the asking price (from the U.S.), imagine what they will negotiate it down to. Yet I worry that at this point, Zelensky, besieged on all sides, has very few options."

This is just gold.

The collection of interviews will eventually be made available to historians (subject to permissions), though not in any foreseeable future. For now, the wounds are too fresh. But this work must be done, and it is being done.

And, as a bonus, here is the final paragraph that didn't make it into the oped for reasons of length.

I argue, too, that Europe should now step into the shoes vacated by the United States, which means learning to talk to the Russians through back-channels. This is important to avoid miscalculation and inadvertent escalation. During the Cold War, the U.S. did it all the time.

What has the European response been so far?
1) Blah blah blah
2) Blah blah blah blah
3) Blah blah blah blah blah
4) Blah blah blah blah blah blah

hat's the purpose here?
1) Show that NATO is a paper tiger and that Art. 5 is not operational.
2) Humiliate Estonia et al.
Of course, they don't actually want war. But they think their brinksmanship has political dividends (and it does).

👤 @radchenko.bsky.social on China’s financial backing of Russia:

“These reports suggest a new level of assertiveness on the part of the Chinese, an almost brazen willingness to deal with major Russian state entities despite sanctions risks.”

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...