The six-hour meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, held yesterday in Istanbul, Turkiye, focused on rebuilding diplomatic relations between the two countries, with particular emphasis on resolving disputes concerning their respective missions in Washington and Moscow.

And, much like their get-together in Saudi Arabia nine days earlier, it ended with . . . well, not much, really. Vladimir Putin’s comments at a meeting in Moscow with the Federal Security Service (FSB) included the following:

“I note that the first contacts with the new American administration inspire certain hopes. There is a reciprocal mood to work to restore intergovernmental ties and to gradually resolve the huge number of systemic and strategic problems that have built up in the world’s security architecture.” [RFE/RL, February 27, 2025.]

And Maria Zakharova, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, added that Moscow hopes the meeting will be just the first of a series of discussions “to bring the U.S. side and us closer to settling differences, building confidence.” [Id.]

So, basically, we’ll sling the spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks . . . right?

Well, not quite. After all, even a personal relationship that’s been on the rocks for three years isn’t likely to be all sweetness and light again after just a few hours of counseling. It sure as hell is going to take more than a couple of half-day meetings to mend something as complex as U.S.-Russian relations.

And in order to mend any serious rift, there has to be a measure of trust between the parties. If one spouse, for example, has been a lying, cheating, abusive s.o.b., it’s going to take some time before he or she can earn the trust of the other spouse. And if they’ve both been lying, cheating . . .

Well, never mind. Suffice it to say that diplomacy-speak is, by design, the very definition of ambiguity. Every word counts . . . and in the case of the U.S. and Russia, both sides know it. In fact, following the Riyadh meeting on February 18th, which focused on the war in Ukraine, Secretary Rubio said:

“We need to know, and the president wants to know early in his presidency, are the Russians interested in ending this war or are they not. President Trump has made deals his entire life. He’s not going to get suckered into a bad deal.” [Id.]

Well, let’s hope not!

And dear old Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had this to say about Russia’s consistent demand that Ukraine cede its territories of Donetsk, Lukhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson in their entirety:

“The territories which have become subjects of the Russian Federation, which are inscribed in our country’s constitution, are an inseparable part of our country. This is undeniable and non-negotiable.” [Id.]

Well, Dima, I have this to say about that: You’re full of crap.

*. *. *

But entirely aside from the issues involved in international diplomacy, let us not overlook one major question:

Should we be talking to Russia at all?

The U.S. and our Western allies have spent the past three years, and hundreds of billions of dollars, defending Ukraine against the illegal, immoral, and unforgivable invasion of its sovereign territory by Vladimir Putin. Trade restrictions and other sanctions against Russia and countless responsible individuals have made life difficult for Putin and his minions. He has been ostracized by virtually the entire free world, unable to travel freely as he might wish because of the outstanding warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

But with one phone call, all of that effort to rein in Putin’s brutal assault on Ukraine has been flushed down the toilet by his good friend in the White House. And the continuing meetings will only serve to play further into Putin’s hands, bringing him back to his former seat of world power.

That’s far worse than diplomacy by ambiguity; it’s diplomacy by betrayal . . . betrayal, not of one’s adversaries, but of one’s own friends and allies.

And after that, who can ever hope to be trusted again?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/28/25