Morning Note

Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed eagerness to meet with Donald Trump, offering a sign of hope that the yearslong Russia/Ukraine war may soon end. 

“Of course, I am ready for this at any time, and I will be ready for a meeting if he wants it,” the Russian president said during his end-of-year press conference. 

Putin also hailed his country’s newfound economic independence, saying he “believes that Russia has become much stronger over the past two or three years. Why? Because we are becoming a truly sovereign country, we are already hardly dependent on anyone.” Western leaders like Joe Biden thought their sanctions would cripple the warring country, but in Putin’s eyes, they have only made it more powerful.

A Trump/Putin summit cannot come soon enough. Once he assumes office, the American president-elect will have the power to end the war in Eastern Europe and bring long-awaited peace to the embattled region. Joe Biden’s “fight to the death” approach has failed. It is time for a new vision.

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