Vladimir, we’ve got to do something. That little bastard’s killing us. Maybe we’ll get him someday. I hope so. Meanwhile he’s arousing tears and standing ovations in legislative bodies and living rooms around the world. Did you see his speech to Congress? He says Russians are against human values and Ukrainian dreams, the same dreams Americans have. He evoked Pearl Harbor and 9/11 as terrible days and told them his country is experiencing those nightmares every day. He says Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death while terrorizing Europe in ways not seen since World War Two. People love him. Let’s not pretend otherwise. The world’s siding with Ukraine. And he’s learning about diplomacy. He accepts that NATO won’t give him a no-fly zone. Yes, I agree we’d have to respond to that with a tactical nuclear strike. And where would that lead? Surely, we’re not going to risk everything. Of course, I know you’d be the one who decides. That’s why I’m urging you to consider what we’re facing. He’ll get his new air defense systems. He’ll get more anti-tank weapons. He’ll get more rifles and food and fuel. And the sanctions will keep biting us. Our enemies in Russia are complaining about empty store shelves, and people are laughing at us. Maybe you shouldn’t have called Russian protesters “scum and traitors” and said “we’ll spit them out like gnats that accidently flew into our mouths.” Frankly, we’re facing more gnats at home and casualties in Ukraine. We have to make a deal soon. I know I’m the foreign minister, and I’m doing my best. Don’t threaten me. You’re fast running out of friends. We have to be ready to compromise. I don’t think our soldiers are motivated to fight room by room through the smoking streets of Kyiv. We’ve got what we need. I implore you, declare victory and end this nightmare.

This is a series of stories about the Russo-Ukrainian War