The push for Russian-Ukrainian peace is about more than Ukraine.
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PresidentDonaldTrumpstartedpeacenegotiationsoverUkrainewithdramaticflair.AlthoughhehadbeenexpectedtosendhisenvoyKeithKelloggtopresentapeaceplanattheMunichSecurityConferencethisweek,TrumpinsteadhadaphonecallwithRussianPresidentVladimirPutin,announcingonWednesdaymorningthatthey“agreedtohaveourrespectiveteamsstartnegotiationsimmediately.”Alongwiththepeacetalks,thetwocountriesannouncedasurpriseprisonerexchange.AndTrumpsnubbedKellogg,leavinghimoutoftheannouncednegotiatingteam.
Europeangovernmentspanickedatthenotionthattheywouldbeleftoutofanyfinaldeal.“Peacecanonlybeachievedtogether.AndthatmeanswithUkraine,andwiththeEuropeans,”GermanForeignMinisterAnnalenaBaerbocktoldreporters.“TherewillbenojustandlastingpeaceinUkrainewithouttheparticipationofEuropeans,”FrenchForeignMinisterJean-NoëlBarrotsaidtoFrance’scabinet.LeadersacrossEuropemadesimilarstatements.
ThetalksaboutUkraineareaboutmorethanU
