Today, Martha, Les, Amy, and Jess examine the latest flurry of diplomatic activity between Russia and Ukraine—amid headlines, handshakes, and very little real progress. Ukrainian and Russian officials met face-to-face in Istanbul for the first time in years, while Putin refused to join. Trump’s recent refusal to endorse new sanctions on Russia– as the EU and UK ramp up pressure– is raising alarms among European allies and creating a problematic U.S.-European divide in NATO.  

With the new Pope offering the Vatican as neutral ground and a bipartisan group of Senators pushing for tougher sanctions, the question remains: is Trump’s mixed approach—part engagement, part retreat—undermining the West’s leverage?  As Russia digs in and Ukraine holds the line, can diplomacy survive in a landscape shaped by war fatigue, nuclear risk, and fractured alliances?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our experts’ opinions. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/21/ukraine-war-briefing-pope-opens-vatican-door-to-peace-talks-says-meloni

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-talks-trump-83979d718b73cb9bd655dd9aaa915573

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgddel17kvo

Follow our experts on Twitter: 

@marthamillerdc

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

@amykmitchell

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