Victoria Coates

No, I don't think so, Steve. I think what President Trump is doing is acknowledging that 80 years on, the reason that some of the structures were put in place after World War II, which was actually largely to prevent another inter-Europe war, that those circumstances are no longer in place. You know, a war between Germany and France is not our number one national security problem.

There's been no diplomacy to proceed to a conclusion of the war. We've had a lot of maximalist rhetoric. We've had a lot of displays of support for Ukraine and and declarations that Ukraine is a democracy and this is an existential threat to the West. But we've also had hundreds of thousands dead and a lot of destructions. And as I said, no progress.

There's been no diplomacy to proceed to a conclusion of the war. We've had a lot of maximalist rhetoric. We've had a lot of displays of support for Ukraine and and declarations that Ukraine is a democracy and this is an existential threat to the West. But we've also had hundreds of thousands dead and a lot of destructions. And as I said, no progress.

There's been no diplomacy to proceed to a conclusion of the war. We've had a lot of maximalist rhetoric. We've had a lot of displays of support for Ukraine and and declarations that Ukraine is a democracy and this is an existential threat to the West. But we've also had hundreds of thousands dead and a lot of destructions. And as I said, no progress.

So I think he is trying to change that paradigm.

So I think he is trying to change that paradigm.

So I think he is trying to change that paradigm.

So that hardly looks to me like, you know, a Washington that is rejecting Europe.

So that hardly looks to me like, you know, a Washington that is rejecting Europe.

So that hardly looks to me like, you know, a Washington that is rejecting Europe.

Well, we know so far that this is going to be a phased arrangement that Hamas finally supplied a list of, we hear, 98 hostages, both dead and alive, that are still in Gaza under their control. So we'll set aside the possibility that there are additional people that Hamas no longer has control over.

Well, we know so far that this is going to be a phased arrangement that Hamas finally supplied a list of, we hear, 98 hostages, both dead and alive, that are still in Gaza under their control. So we'll set aside the possibility that there are additional people that Hamas no longer has control over.

So this is what they have, that there will be some number of them, close to 35, who will be released in coming days. And a ceasefire will go into effect shortly. for about six weeks, if that does indeed happen. And during which time Israel reserves the right to go back into Gaza and resume fighting if there are any infractions on the ceasefire.

So this is what they have, that there will be some number of them, close to 35, who will be released in coming days. And a ceasefire will go into effect shortly. for about six weeks, if that does indeed happen. And during which time Israel reserves the right to go back into Gaza and resume fighting if there are any infractions on the ceasefire.

And I think that's very important that the only thing we really know right now is that we're likely to see about 35 hostages come out on Sunday, the day before the inauguration. And at that point, burden is on Hamas to see if we go any further with this deal.

And I think that's very important that the only thing we really know right now is that we're likely to see about 35 hostages come out on Sunday, the day before the inauguration. And at that point, burden is on Hamas to see if we go any further with this deal.

I think it's more of a drawdown in these early phases and also important that Israel is being asked to release some number of Palestinian prisoners. This is standard. It happened in the last deal for hostages, which was in November of 2023. So that is going to happen as well. But it's important that Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that they are not going to relinquish control of

I think it's more of a drawdown in these early phases and also important that Israel is being asked to release some number of Palestinian prisoners. This is standard. It happened in the last deal for hostages, which was in November of 2023. So that is going to happen as well. But it's important that Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that they are not going to relinquish control of

of the periphery of the Gaza Strip. They are going to retain the right to go back in if Hamas violates this. And so it's a very big if that Hamas is actually going to behave itself and not do something that would bring the Israelis back in.

of the periphery of the Gaza Strip. They are going to retain the right to go back in if Hamas violates this. And so it's a very big if that Hamas is actually going to behave itself and not do something that would bring the Israelis back in.