Thomas Graham:
Well, the first thing to note, that this is not simply about the Ukraine conflict or the Russia-Ukraine war. There are broader issues in U.S.-Russian relations, European security, strategic stability, the conversations about the Middle East and the Arctic that we need to have. So not all of this is about Ukraine.
And I think, for that reason, it is reasonable that Ukraine not be present at the upcoming meeting. That said, the administration really does need to make a concerted effort to keep the Ukrainians informed of their discussions with Russia, to make sure that they understand what the United States is going to say to President Putin, and that the administration conveys back clearly what they are told by the Russians.
The Ukrainians have to be part of the deal at the end of the day. It is their territory. It is their country. The conflict is being fought on their territory. So this is not a situation where the United States and Russia can come together, reach an agreement, and impose it on the Ukrainians.
Ukrainians will resist, and many, if not most of our European allies will also resist.
