India, Feb. 23 -- Three years after the Russia-Ukraine war and the immense human and capital losses on both sides, there are flickering signs of an end -- though its shape is yet unclear. The war was marked by the shifting of balance from one side to the other throughout, and it was clear that an end could only come about off the field and at the negotiating table. To that end, the US opening talks with Russia, in the normal course of things, would have been perceived as a significant positive. The US, along with Nato, backed Ukraine against Russia's aggression, and expectations were that it would back Kyiv's interests in negotiations with Moscow.

Now, however, prospects for peace have come against the backdrop of US president Donald Tru...