President Donald Trump traveled to Alaska on August 15 intending to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire. He returned home with no ceasefire but an “understanding” containing poison pills guaranteed to make it unacceptable to Ukraine.

August 18 went better. Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and seven other European leaders left the Alaska understanding by the wayside. The nine discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, a crucial requirement for any settlement, and Trump pressed Putin to meet directly with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Continue reading at thebulletin.org.