Moscow-Washington hotline not in use now.
Maybe the Reykjavik agreement between Reagan – Gorbachev does not work. But the Malta Summit declaration between Bush – Gorbachev should stand. The Obama – Putin consensus did not work either. Maybe a new Trump – Putin consensus will be reached.
The world needs elevation, mobilisation, modernisation and reinforcement. Not just China or Russia. Sovereignty means also that countries are run by their nationals. So the job of politics is upon them.
Putin gave Scholz the terms of Russia to end the war with Ukraine. The above should be the realistic reply of Europe. The Ukraine war is foreign national war not Russian civil war. The military stakes have increased but even more dangerous is to forget who is fighting for what in this war, why and with whom. To avoid that confusion we must look back to history.
The reason why the past agreements did not work, will make also any Trump – Putin solution prospect at least impractical. History has run this times and again. Now is different. The Russian history is clear. After Gorbachev came Yeltsin and after Yeltsin came Putin. History is about persons and figures but is also about nations and about their national and international relations.
There is little point in an agreement with Ukraine, only to see the war shortly flaring again there or elsewhere in Europe for again the same national, international or historic reason. Now is time that peace, prosperity and progress will work. There is praise for leaders’ past efforts, not blame for results. Yet we must all move forward effectively and successfully for all.
To make this happen we need de-escalation and if possible a ceasefire. A hot line conversation between Moscow and Washington maybe the way to do it.
