Subtle Shifts Raise Hopes for Cease-Fire in Ukraine

“When President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion two weeks ago, he said a primary goal was the ‘denazification’ of Ukraine. He referred to the Ukrainian government as a ‘gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis,’ making it clear that his aim was to topple it,” the New York Times reports.

“But in recent days, the language has shifted, with the Kremlin signaling that Mr. Putin is no longer bent on regime change in Kyiv. It is a subtle shift, and it may be a head-fake; but it is prompting officials who have scrambled to mediate to believe that Mr. Putin may be seeking a negotiated way out of a war that has become a much bloodier slog than he expected.”