S. Lee P.

The United States asked Ukraine not to strike Moscow while senior American officials are visiting the russian capital, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Think about that. When American officials travel to Moscow, Washington apparently has no problem asking Ukraine: Do not attack Moscow while we are there. But just days earlier, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner canceled their planned visit to Kyiv around Ukraine’s Independence Day because of “heavy russian air strikes on the city.” So why didn’t Washington simply ask russia: Do not attack Kyiv while American officials are there? Apparently, the United States can ask Ukraine to stop bombing russia to protect American officials in Moscow. But it cannotask russia to stop bombing Ukraine to protect American officials in Kyiv. Instead, Witkoff and Kushner canceled their trip. This tells you something important about American diplomacy under Trump. Washington repeatedly demands restraint from Ukraine while accommodating russia. It expects Kyiv to adjust its military actions around American diplomacy, while seemingly accepting that Moscow will continue bombing Ukrainian cities whenever it wants. You cannot be an honest broker when the rules apply only to one side. That is blatant hypocrisy.