The Feb. 28 Oval Office argument between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump underscored the latter's resolve to coerce Ukraine to accept Russia's terms for a ceasefire in order to restore U.S. relations with Moscow and pass on management of the war to Europe. The argument also followed a Feb. 18 meeting between U.S. and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia, where the two sides agreed to form high-level teams for peace talks, restore diplomatic staffing and, notably, pursue closer bilateral relations and economic cooperation. Together, these developments raise questions about the strategic calculations driving the Trump administration to pursue reengagement with Moscow and what the restoration of Russia's international standing could look like....
