Ukraine

Chris Bowers, Bowers News Media - As I wrote over the weekend... the status of negotiations to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine are fluid and, honestly, a bit opaque. Consider the following:

Now Rubio says the U.S. did author the 28-point plan. Over the weekend, two U.S. senators, Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Angus King (I-ME) told the media that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them that the 28-point plan that received wide circulation in the media last week was authored by Russia, not the U.S. However, now Rubio is saying in public that the U.S. did author the 28-point plan, with input from both Russia and Ukraine. Further, in regards to comments from Sen. King "saying the plan 'is not of the administration’s position,' State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott wrote on X that the claim 'is blatantly false.'”

The plan is changing, but it is unclear how. Both American and Ukrainian officials declared yesterday that the plan has been changed somewhat, but it is unclear what those changes were.

Everyone indicates "progress" is being made, but it is unclear how. Basically everyone, except for Russia, has indicated that some progress has been made. However, it is again unclear what issues there have been progress on.

Timeline unclear. In place of a Thursday deadline for Ukraine to accept the terms, the Trump administration is now indicating that they want things done "soon." This quote from Rubio strikes me as particularly apt:

    “Our goal is to end this war as soon as possible, but we need a little more time,” Rubio said. 

My impression from all of this is that the Trump administration is not telling everyone involved in the matter the same thing at the same time. Instead, I believe they are telling different people different things in order to speed up the process because what Trump really wants above anything else is to claim to have ended the war. How it ends, I don't think is particularly important to him, as long as he can claim to have ended it.