The past week has underscored the widening gulf between Western diplomacy and Moscow’s military calculus. In Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested there was “light at the end of the tunnel” if Ukraine accepted his version of peace. Days later in Vladivostok, he erased any illusion of moderation by declaring that Western forces deployed in Ukraine would be “legitimate targets.” The shift from guarded openness to outright warning captures the strategic reality of this war: every initiative for security guarantees collides with Russia’s refusal to concede ground.

The Paris summit hosted by France marked the most ambitious allied move yet. Twenty-six nations pledged concrete security assurances for Ukraine, with promises of air, sea, and land deployments once a ceasefire takes hold. French President Emmanuel Macron framed it as the first credible shield to deter........

© The Statesman