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No wonder Putin feels bold

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U.S. envoys in Ukraine seem desperate while Germany’s right surges. September 9, 2026 at 1:38 p.m. EDT Today at 1:38 p.m. EDT image Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Sunday.  (Francisco Seco/AP)/   By John R. Bolton John R. Bolton was the White House national security adviser from 2018 to 2019.   jb: More on Bolton and Ukraine below (from Wikipedia) Conventional wisdom holds that negotiations to resolve international conflicts are always useful. The media, encouraged by negotiators themselves, often reinforces this view, noting that talks are progressing, referring to their quickening pace or intensifying efforts and the anticipation of further meetings. Feckless diplomacy, however, can do more harm than good. Fate can also take a hand, with unforeseen developments bolstering one combatant’s negotiating position. What will happen in the 2026 midterms? Sign up for Margin of Victory Unfortunately, the latter scenario may be...
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Here Is Where Ukraine Peace Talks Stand, as a New Round Approaches

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A deadly campaign of Russian and Ukrainian airstrikes has escalated since the last U.S.-brokered negotiations stalled in February. A Russian drone on the road in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, after being shot down in January  by a Ukrainian police officer with a rifle. Credit.. Tyler Hicks / The New York Times By Aurelien Breeden and Cassandra Vinograd Cassandra Vinograd  reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Published Sept. 5, 2026 Updated Sept. 6, 2026   Trump administration envoys arrived on Sunday in Kyiv after a visit to Moscow, part of efforts to restart talks to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. The diplomatic tour by Steve Witkoff, the administration’s peace envoy, and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, came more than six months after a previous round of discussions fizzled out, and at a time when Russian and Ukrainian forces are locked in an escalating spiral of airstrikes. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia hinted at the challenges when he welcomed the Am...
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