What a great feeling! No, I didn’t win the lottery, and I didn’t glance in the mirror this morning to find myself looking ten years younger. But what I did get may be even better.

I have offered my unsolicited opinion numerous times as to the woeful inadequacy of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as negotiators between two countries — Russia and Ukraine — about which they know virtually nothing. It’s not their fault; the ancient and complex history and politics of Russia and Eastern Europe simply are not within their areas of expertise. They’re businessmen. Yet they were appointed — and accepted the appointments — as special White House envoys to try to settle the most contentious, sensitive, and urgent of issues as though they were simply closing a deal on a hotel in New York.

On January 24th, in an article bemoaning the lack of progress in negotiations for a solution to the conflict in Ukraine, I wrote:

“Thus far, all we’ve seen is a lot of people burning up untold amounts of jet fuel as they hop around the globe in search of a resolution. And I’m beginning to think we (the U.S.) may need to send in a whole new team of negotiators, with an entirely new modus operandi.”

And — lo and behold! — last evening I read the following post from Ukraine:

“Talks on Ukraine will continue this week — but notably without Steve Witkoff or Jared Kushner.

“U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that negotiations will proceed in a bilateral format [between Ukraine and Russia]. A U.S. presence remains possible, but neither Witkoff nor Kushner will be involved. Rubio also acknowledged a central reality: for Ukraine, even the discussion of changing borders is politically and morally untenable.

“That admission quietly exposes a deeper problem with how some outside figures have approached this war.

“Witkoff, like Kushner, arrived with access but without grounding. Neither has demonstrated a serious grasp of why this war began, how it is being fought, or what conditions make peace possible — beyond the abstract language of ‘deals’ and ‘movement.’ In a conflict defined by occupation, mass displacement, and daily strikes on civilians, that gap matters.

“And it shows. . . .

“Removing figures who lack expertise does not stall diplomacy — it strengthens it.

“Without Witkoff and Kushner in the room, there is finally space for people who understand security gurantees, deterrence, escalation control, and the realities on the ground. Peace talks require more than access or confidence; they require competence.

“Ukraine does not need intermediaries who treat war like a transaction. It needs partners who understand that peace without accountability is just a pause before the next invasion.

“If progress is to be realized — not cosmetic — then the table must be occupied by those who know what is at stake.

“And for the first time in a while, that may actually be possible.” [Ukraine:News, January 28, 2026.]

*. *. *

So thank you to the folks at Ukraine News for stating the truth so openly and eloquently. And a huge thank you to the person or persons in Washington who finally saw the light and made that tough decision. I don’t know what prompted it, and I don’t need to know. I just feel certain that it was the very best decision anyone has made concerning these negotiations in a long, long while.

Now we need to follow through with the right people at the table. Perhaps some elder statesmen with relevant experience and no political axe to grind . . . ?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/29/26