‘Chaotic’ American negotiating team sends mixed message back to U.S. on Ukraine peace talks

Ukraine Peace Talks - The initial round of Ukraine peace talks in Geneva is viewed as productive by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but faces criticism from others [1] - A proposed 28-point peace plan, allegedly a "wishlist of the Russians," is considered unacceptable by some, with Senator Warner describing it as a complete capitulation that echoes Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler [1] - The plan reportedly requires Ukraine to cede control of parts of the Donbas, reduce its military, and forgo NATO membership [1] - There is confusion and a lack of communication among the US team involved in the negotiations, with conflicting messages from various spokespersons [1] - The proposed plan is seen as favoring Russia, the aggressor, rather than holding them accountable for war crimes and violations of international law [1] - President Zinsky views the proposed plan as a non-starter, indicating that more than 20% remains to be negotiated [1] Venezuela Situation - The US may be considering a new military operation in Venezuela, potentially including an attempt to overthrow President Nicholas Maduro [2] - Venezuela is a large country with 30 million people, making regime change a complex undertaking [2][3] - The US Navy has a significant presence off the coast of Venezuela, and there are rumors of covert action within the country [6] - There is a lack of a clear US strategy regarding Venezuela, with the initial mission of counter-narcotics interdiction potentially evolving into regime change [6][7]