Was it a mistake not to push the Ukrainians harder to go for some sort of negotiated end to the war in 2022, especially the fall of 2022?

They were not in a strong enough position then. They’re not in a strong enough position now. The only deal Putin would have cut then, the only deal that he would cut today, at least before he sees what happens in our election, is a deal in which he says, “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable.” And that’s not sustainable.

What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable

THIS IS EVERYONE’S STARTING POSITION, THAT’S HOW NEGOTIATIONS WORK. If it were any different, then there wouldn’t be a conflict over which people needed to negotiate, it would just be called ‘business’. Jesus fucking Christ is this the kind of thinking we take to the world stage? This kind of analysis would have been outdated even for a dinky little kingdom in medieval europe…