The weather's a bit crap sometimes and you'll have to learn how to make a decent cup of tea (it's the law) but there are worse places.

PS I'm observing from Weymouth in the UK, and find the podcast really helpful in keeping up with developments. Thanks to you and Mary McCord for the tuition.

I will pass the exam question on TDA ! So I hope you'll entertain this question. Where is this going? Is a constitutional crisis being created, in the hope that the midterms might deliver a Congress ready to fill the Supreme Court with Myrmidons, suspend Habeas Corpus, or give added Prez powers?

Here we are!

Perhaps the task is to coax Trump out of Putin's back pocket, with a coherent peace plan. And to develop a less US-reliant defence capability over the next two years, which the US may also want.

Have you considered fruit-picking, General ?

Overlooking the Gulf of Zelenskyy. Nice.

What is Putin telling him to do ? You might as well ask the Kremlin directly.

Cheese-eating surrender monkeys - is that those guys ?

Right wing and a comic. Meanwhile, healing this rift is the priority.

Hypothesis. Putin said absolutely nyet to any European ceasefire force, so Zelenskyy's request for meaningful safeguards had to be knifed in the Oval Office, or else....

Were the 'people with knowledge' from Russia Today? It looked like a premeditated, choreographed ambush.

Both sides need an exit strategy they can commend to their own people.Telling Russia to go home, as some wish to, or telling the Ukraine to accept US peace through extortion, won't resolve matters. Starmer needs to think outside the box.

Putting two and two together, it had to end in a bust-up because the deal being signed off by the US (dictated by Putin?) was a worthless surrender deal, not a peace deal.

Spontaneous combustion or a premeditated stunt ? Putin dictated terms in a secret meeting, and that seems to be the 'US deal'. Surrender, so I can get on with my next invasion.

It was a premeditated ambush, to please Amerca's main ally, Putin. Let's see if we can get your nuts out of the fire.

Is the White House beef not a supposed lack of gratitude but asking what happens if a ceasefire is broken ? Is that because there is no answer?

If pressed to define what was disrespectful, would Vance have a leg to stand on? He talked of a lack of gratitude, which makes little sense. Was it the question on what would happen if Russia breaks a ceasefire ?

This is an insightful and engaging discussion, and helps me, listening from across the Pond, to understand the current chaos. Thanks to you and Mary McCord - and it is five o' clock here in 3.5 hours. Albeit 5am...!