Thursday, February 13

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun talks over ending the Russo-Ukrainian War, which could be the beginning of some much-needed negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

President Trump made promises that he would put an end to the Russo-Ukrainian War before he was even elected, with the president ensuring that all fighting would come to an end within the first 24 hours of his inauguration. Of course, he did not make good on the latter promise, but he has now begun to talk to Putin over ending the war.

Trump had a long call with Putin on Wednesday, where they discussed the beginning of negotiations. Trump described the one-and-a-half hour call as "highly productive," and both presidents have invited each other to their capitals for a future meeting. Trump also said that the two would "meet in Saudi Arabia," a point of neutrality where both leaders could meet safely.

Trump established after the talk that Ukraine may not get all of its land back-- he suggested that a peace agreement may force Ukraine to give up some of their lost land to Russia if they want a ceasefire. However, he did confirm that they would get some of that area back, easing tensions for Ukraine.

Other countries, though, are worried about the United States taking the lead. Trump has long favored his relationship with Russia over his alliance with NATO and the European Union, and several countries like France and the United Kingdom are pushing to be part of the negotiations to prevent a deal where Russia benefits while Ukraine takes losses. European countries have also maintained that they need to be part of peace talks because their security is at risk, and they refuse to let the US negotiate a deal that favors Russia.

Additionally, these countries are urging the US to ensure that Ukraine is involved in talks, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that "can be no talks on Ukraine without Ukraine" -- though the latter statement was directly contradicted by Wednesday's call.

Meanwhile, the United States has also confirmed that Ukraine will not be joining NATO, to the disappointment of Zelensky. Ukraine has been attempting to join NATO for years, but their application will most likely be rejected. Anyone within NATO earns defense guarantees due to Article 5, which states that an attack on one country is an attack on the entire group, and it seems that some European countries and the US are not willing to provide Ukraine with those safety benefits because of the high risk of attack.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Disney has a system of underground tunnels beneath their parks. The tunnels were built in response to characters having to run through other lands to get to their posts, which spoiled the magic. Thanks to the tunnels, you won’t see a Tomorrowland spaceman in the Old West–inspired Frontierland.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The only two things in this world you can control are your effort and your attitude. (Sue Enquist)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Hagiography (noun, hag-ee-AH-gruh-fee) - Hagiography is biography that idealizes or idolizes a person and their life.

In a Sentence: The book gives a good idea of his virtues without resorting to hagiography.