The challenges ahead.

J.D. Vance talked to the Daily Mail in his West Wing office on Wednesday

As a fan of the Ukrainian television series, Servant of the People, I can’t help but be struck by the irony of an actor who played a president transitioning into an actor who became a president. Scripts, however, are one thing. Reality is something completely different. And Volodymyr Zelensky’s last scene, unlike the character of Vasily Goloborodko he played in the series, will not have a happy ending, but rather be the stuff of nightmares.

There will be some hard diplomatic work ahead, but at least the long process of negotiation is finally about to start

Negotiations were first high-level talks on the conflict since early months of Vladimir Putin’s invasion

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Russia and the U.S. agreed Tuesday to start working toward ending the war in Ukraine and improving their diplomatic and economic ties, the two countries’ top diplomats said after talks that reflected an extraordinary about-face in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump.

Excluding Ukraine and Europe from peace talks with Russia, Trump reminds his proxies that Washington runs the war.

There has to be peace in Ukraine. Kiev and its European allies have to be persuaded or pressurised by Trump

In all but name, the Ukraine War is over—and further NATO expansion is likely over, too. Only time will tell if Russia is content with this resolution.

Balancing Ukraine’s sovereignty with Russia’s demand for its own “security guarantees” promises to be the hardest part of any negotiation. But experts see possible compromises.