Senator slams 'photo-op' meeting with Putin, says it 'legitimizes war crimes'

US-Russia Relations & Ukraine Conflict - A US-Russia summit could legitimize war crimes and signal to other autocrats that they can get away with murdering civilians [3] - The absence of Zelensky at any potential peace talks means no real peace agreement can be reached [4] - The US not providing additional weapons to Ukraine would prevent any just peace [6] - A just peace requires negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, not the US and Russia, and Ukraine should have the right to discuss territory [8][9] - A diplomatic solution likely involves a conversation around territory, but also requires the US to guarantee the security of remaining Ukrainian territory [9][10] Security Guarantees for Ukraine - A security guarantee for Ukraine is more important than the exact lines drawn in a land-for-peace deal [12] - A NATO security guarantee for Ukraine is unlikely [13] - The US will likely have to play some role in guaranteeing Ukraine's security after an agreement [16] - Putin cannot be trusted on any agreement, referencing the Budapest Memorandum and Minsk Agreement failures [17] - The failure of the Budapest Memorandum, where Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances, undermines trust in international agreements and could encourage nuclear proliferation [19][21][22] Potential Outcomes of the Summit - There is concern that Putin will try to expand the agenda to include a new nuclear deal or other items to give Trump a "win" without progress in Ukraine [23][24] - The US needs a new nuclear agreement with Russia, potentially involving China in a trilateral agreement [25] - Any headlines about new economic investment commitments from Russia should be viewed skeptically, as there is no meaningful economic relationship between the US and Russia [26][27]