The devastation across Ukraine on Tuesday night, where a kindergarten was struck, homes burned, and families torn apart, illustrates a grim paradox of this long war: pauses in diplomacy often trigger surges in violence. The latest Russian barrage, coming within hours of a planned Trump-Putin summit being postponed, underscores how every diplomatic hesitation becomes a battlefield opportunity for Moscow. Russia’s strikes were no random act of cruelty. They were a deliberate signal that no lull in dialogue will translate into restraint on the ground. For the Kremlin, force remains the principal language of negotiation. When diplomatic channels close, missiles speak louder.

Moscow has learned to exploit moments of political uncertainty to reassert its relevance and test Western resolve. Ukraine’s President, Volodymer Zelenskky, traveling through Europe in search of security assurances and long-range missile systems, has made no secret of his frustration. His........

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