The Art of No Deal

After meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Vladimir Putin said he was open to the ceasefire proposal hashed out by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio… kind of. “The idea itself is a good one and we absolutely support it,” Putin said at a press conference. “But there are questions that we have to discuss.” Putin, of course, has been clear about what some of his “security guarantees” would entail: a demilitarized and neutral Ukraine with a new, Moscow-friendly government that will concede its claims to contested regions—demands that are completely incompatible with the security guarantees that Ukraine is seeking. Once again, Putin’s response is emblematic of what he does best: dragging negotiators into diplomatic purgatory while continuing to fight.