Read by Matthew Alford.
Lacking leverage over Russia, Trump fails to seal the deal in Ukraine
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In recent days, President Donald Trump has insisted that Ukraine and Russia are “very close to a deal” that he hopes to see finalized in “two weeks or less.” While Trump can be commended for wanting to end a conflict that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives, his optimism is, by all accounts, a typical delusion. In seeking to broker a peace deal for a war in which his own government is a major belligerent, Trump is hindered by decades of hostile US policy toward Russia – including during his first stint in office -- and a Washington political establishment that reflexively resists accommodation with designated foes.
