Peace talks begin? Russian and Ukrainian leaders are meeting today in Belarus. Ukraine is seeking "an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of troops"; Russia's aims are unclear. Just yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that was putting nuclear forces on "special combat readiness" status (while Belarus—which "has become a launch pad for Russian troops invading Ukraine"—said it's ditching its non-nuclear status).
U.S. President Joe Biden has, thankfully, chosen to deescalate rather than put U.S. forces "on Defcon 3—known to moviegoers as that moment when the Air Force rolls out bombers, and nuclear silos and submarines are put on high alert," in the words of The New York Times.
