Let's bring back Michael McCall, of course, a former US ambassador to Russia, now an MS now, uh, international affairs analyst. So, we didn't get a lot, but there is a positive tone there that they are going to continue negotiations. Um, when I was asking you questions, you said it's a lot of big questions and you don't have a lot of answers yet.Do you think that's almost the place where they are inside that negotiating room as they talk around that table and is part of the reason they don't have the answer ...

Donald Trump could not or would not prevent an attack on Qatar, which, like other members of the Gulf Co-operation Council, thought it enjoyed an American security guarantee. The Israeli strike will probably further devalue America’s promises https://t.co/pyk4QqUau4 ...

>> The white House says it's working to schedule a meeting between Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky. Joining us right now is the former NATO supreme allied commander, Wesley Clark. He's a retired four star army general and now chairman and CEO of consulting firm Wesley Clark and Associates and general.Let me just ask what you thought. I don't want to be leading the witness. What was your takeaway from what you've seen over the last 3 or 4 days.>> Well, I think it's a good thing that ...

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 Landscape & Security Guarantees - The US is considering offering security guarantees to Ukraine, potentially resembling "NATO light," without Ukraine joining NATO [3][4] - These guarantees could involve US support for Ukraine in the event of further Russian aggression [4] - The necessity of Russian consent for these security guarantees, which the US could potentially offer unilaterally, remains unclear [5][6] Territorial Concessions & Sanctions - Ukraine insists that territorial issues should only be discussed directly between Ukrainian and Russian leaders, or in a trilateral format involving the US [8] - Ukraine will likely demand new sanctions if Russia refuses trilateral talks [8] - The US and Russia are discussing potential economic cooperation, which contrasts with the Ukrainian perspective on sanctions [9][10] - Any territorial concessions made by Ukraine are unlikely to be legally recognized by Ukraine [10] European Perspective - Europe has incurred significant costs, potentially trillions of dollars, due to sanctions and reduced natural resource flows from Russia [13] - European countries may be hesitant to ease sanctions without a concrete resolution to the crisis [14]