Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts to stop the Ukraine conflict remain fluid, the details murky. But the fact that the president has in the span of only a few days met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders in an attempt to end the hostilities is a credit to the White House and indicative of Trump’s desire to craft a lasting peace.

On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Putin wants to meet with Zelenskyy, a breakthrough in and of itself — if it happens. “Both leaders have expressed a willingness to sit down with each other,” she said, “and so our national security team will help both countries do that.”

Yet there has been no public confirmation of the Russian commitment, only a vague hint that Putin and his minions won’t rule out future talks. Back-channel negotiations are no doubt taking place, but — if history is any guide — getting Putin in the same room as Zelenskyy will present unique challenges.

And despite the president’s meeting with Putin in Alaska, the details of a framework for peace remain elusive. The Russians still seek territorial concessions and reportedly even want Ukraine to cede land that Putin has been unable capture through his deadly and costly aggression. Zelenskyy understandably calls such demands a nonstarter and warns of the risks of rewarding Russia’s warmongering.

American resolve is vital to this process. So is the threat of additional financial sanctions on Russia and those who fund its war machine by purchasing the country’s oil. On the latter, Trump treads lightly, no doubt in an attempt to bring Putin to the table. But at some point, if the Russians continue to resist peace, the president will have to act. On the former,  Trump, while ruling out American combat troops, said Tuesday that the United States will be a part of guaranteeing Ukraine’s security once the fighting ends.

“There’s going to be a lot of help,” Trump said, referring to the European Union’s contributions. “They are the first line of defense because they’re there. They’re Europe. But we’re going to them out also. We’ll be involved.”

Trump has caught withering criticism from some on the left for his aggressive and unconventional diplomatic style and his meeting with Putin — and it’s true that the president’s off-the-cuff rhetoric sometimes overwhelms more cautious analysis. But as Matthew Petti of reason. com noted this week, “Refusing to talk is no strategy at all” and is, in fact, an endorsement of more senseless death and destruction.

Whether Trump’s approach succeeds remains to be seen. But the fact that all the parties involved are meeting with the White House should be celebrated, not condemned.

— From Tribune News Service