Trump’s diplomacy won’t bring peace

So now we know. Washington is intent on decoupling from Europe and reconnecting with Russia. America’s stance was reaffirmed yesterday, in Brussels, by the newly minted Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, who was there primarily to discuss the Ukraine conflict. We already knew the top lines: Nato membership for Ukraine is “unrealistic”, he said, and the war “must end” through diplomacy. Kyiv must abandon aspirations of reclaiming pre-2014 borders — that includes Crimea — and prepare for a negotiated settlement with Russia.