This article proposes a fallacious argument for imposing a cease-fire on Ukraine, to be followed by negotiations under circumstances that would give Putin the territory he has conquered plus wherever else he demands.

The article starts by assuming that continued war can mean, for Ukraine, nothing other than continuing destruction and advance by the Putin forces. This is called "defeatism". I don't think it is true.

It continues by claiming that the only way to save Ukraine from putative violent defeat by Putin is to cease the fighting under conditions that compel defeat by negotiating. Putin will insist on all of Ukraine he wants by threatening to renew the war, after having brought copious supplies.

That outcome follows from that defeatism, but that defeatism is a supposition, not fact. Ukrainians do not want to be "saved" by forcing them to give up the fight. They want the chance to fight and win some of their country back.

As Putin's army gets ever weaker, he will become willing to settle for less and less. After enough damage, he will settle for taking what's left of his army out of Ukraine so that he can remain in power in Russia.

T he EU is considering an anti-SLAPP directive.

A study estimated that 21% of all reptile species are "threatened" or worse. This covers all the reptile species whose status is known well enough to determine whether each one is threatened. There are species whose conditions are so little known that scientists find it hard to determine whether they are threatened; those were omitted from the survey.

Manchin is having a meeting with billionaires who carry no political affiliation except "we want more riches".

Putin has cut off the gas supply to some European countries and is threatening to cut off the gas supply to others. Those countries are calling this an outrage.

I disagree with them — this is simply another economic sanction. NATO countries are refusing to sell certain things to Russia, and now Russia is refusing to sell a certain thing to some of those countries. It hurts, for sure — but it is not an outrage or a crime, like some other things Putin has done.

The goal of "weakening Russia" has a range of concrete possible meanings. I believe that the only way to reach a peace that will last is for Ukraine to give Putin a defeat that will convince him not to attack again later. That is one form of "weakening Russia," which I agree is necessary.

However, to damage Russia in other ways would mean widening the war, and that would asking for trouble.