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Trump (R) and Putin (L) shake hands at the end of a U.S.-Russia in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. on Aug. 15, 2025.
Opinion

Are dollars replacing diplomacy in US-Russia talks?

by Charles Hecker

Anyone hoping for a geopolitically robust and sustainable resolution to Russia's war on Ukraine should quickly re-examine their optimism or at least check their assumptions. Commercial interests, rather than military or political concerns, are driving the United States' talks with Russia. This mercantile approach carries two critical risks. First, Russia's aggression against Ukraine does not stem from an economic rivalry. Talking business with Russia misses the point entirely. Second, the sugg

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