The negotiations in Istanbul are unfolding according to Moscow’s script, which dictates that discussion of the Kremlin’s demands must precede any ceasefire. This is the result of yet another concession by Trump, who has deviated from the previously agreed position with Ukraine and Europe, which had called for the reverse sequence. The second round of talks differed little from the first. However, this time both sides presented their irreconcilable positions in the form of memoranda. The U...
