Newly disclosed State Department memos conflict with the narrative Democrats crafted since 2019 impeachment.

Getting a count of Ukraine’s dead that isn’t the output of someone’s propaganda machine is difficult to do. But the number of dead is indisputably a horror. Measuring the maiming of Ukraine solely in deaths, though, is an injustice to the depth of the Ukrainian wound.

Nicolas Sarkozy said Putin was ‘not irrational’ and the conflict could be ended with new referendums in the Russian- occupied territories. Ukraine said the proposal was based on ‘criminal logic’, while a French MP accused Sarkozy of being a ‘Russian influencer’.

The government is worried

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has dragged on with no end in sight. The fighting has ground to a near standstill, with thousands of lives being traded for miles of territory. The situation has delighted the political establishment in Washington, who see throwing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers into the meatgrinder as a cost-effective method for weakening Russia.

With Ukraine’s counteroffensive all but halted, the time has come for Washington to push for peace—particularly given that Russia might launch a new offensive in 2024.

Does Washington have a plan B if the Ukrainian counteroffensive doesn’t work out?

In his essay “On Liberty,” John Stuart Mill explained the importance of listening to opposing views with an open mind. He emphasized how, despite our own deep convictions, we may be mistaken. More likely, we are partially correct and partially mistaken. Then, by making incremental adjustments we can advance toward a better understanding. Finally, Mill pointed out that even if we are completely correct, our opinions will deteriorate into stale dogma unless we are compelled to defend them.

As Ukraine’s forces continue to struggle, pressure is mounting to end the war on terms that were previously unthinkable

Criticism of Kyiv’s strategy from American officials widens rift between allies at crucial time