There was a lot of discussion over the course of the day of next steps of President Zalinsky and President Putin potentially meeting one-on-one and of there being a trilateral meeting with Ukraine, Russia and the United States. But according to Justin Sink, there is nothing on the schedule and getting Zalinsky and Putin together to talk is far from guaranteed. >> It's always hard to predict the future, but I what I would say is that it gets into ve very dangerous territory for Ukraine.President Trump has al ...

Geopolitical Strategy & Negotiation - The US aims to mediate a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war, requiring both sides to compromise [2] - Progress was made in negotiations between President Trump and President Putin, leading to further discussions with European leaders and President Zelensky [3][5] - A proposal from Russia was presented to European leaders and President Zelensky, who are now considering a counter-proposal [5] - Ending the conflict is crucial due to the catastrophic loss of life, emphasizing the need to avoid letting the perfect be the enemy of the good in pursuing a deal [9] NATO & Security Guarantees - Ukraine's potential NATO membership requires agreement from all 32 members, involving considerations of corruption and political issues [7][10][11] - A security guarantee for Ukraine would likely involve a coalition or alliance outside the NATO framework [17][20] - Ensuring a lasting peace requires strengthening Ukraine to deter future Russian aggression, potentially through European participation and burden-sharing [18][19] US-Europe Relations - European leaders have urged the US not to withdraw from the peace process, recognizing the US's unique ability to bring Russia to the table [14] - The US holds leverage through sanctions and tariffs, which can be deployed to encourage progress towards peace [15] Trust & Verification - Trusting Putin is a major challenge, given his history of broken promises, necessitating strong safeguards to protect any agreement [21] - Verification and a strong Ukrainian defense, supported by a European commitment, are essential to ensure the protection of any agreed-upon terms [22]

Geopolitical Analysis - Vladimir Putin secured a diplomatic triumph through negotiations with American envoys [1] - Momentum behind a peace process appears to be building [1]