New Whirled Order

The remaking (and recoding) of America’s government feels like it’s taking place at breathtaking speeds. But the alterations to the world order, and America’s role in it, could be taking place even faster. It now appears that Putin is an American partner. And the discussions about the first steps toward ending the war in Ukraine just took place in Saudi Arabia, without Europe. And without Ukraine. “The meeting was the latest striking swerve by the Trump administration in abandoning Western efforts to isolate Russia. Since Mr. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States and its Western allies had moved vigorously to punish Russia for causing Europe’s most destructive war in generations. Instead, the talks on Tuesday showed that Mr. Trump was eager to work with Russia to end the war — an approach that would most likely fulfill many of Mr. Putin’s demands — and that he was prepared to cast aside the worries of American allies in Europe.” NYT (Gift Article): U.S. and Russia Pursue Partnership in a Head-Spinning Shift in Relations.

+ Bloomberg (Gift Article): Trump, Putin Teams End Ukraine Talks With No Date Yet for Summit.

+ Who’s Trump’s point person leading the negotions with Russia? His personal friend, golf buddy and billionaire real estate developer Steve Witkoff.