Ukraine excluded: Trump and Putin to decide Kyiv's fate?

Russia wants America and China to decide Ukraine's future without Kyiv. Europe must challenge this dangerous return to "might makes right" diplomacy. Does Vladimir Putin know exactly how to play Donald Trump? A history of friendly phone calls, high-profile meetings, and attempts to bring Russia back into the global fold suggests Moscow's leader has a hold on the American president. If Trump agrees to negotiate Ukraine's future with Putin and China's Xi Jinping without Ukraine at the table, he hands the Russian leader a victory before talks begin. The message: strongmen rule the world and determine the fate of weaker nations. Ukraine has the right to determine its own future. That right cannot be dismissed by a self-serving Russian proposal, however much it appeals to Trump's belief that world affairs should be settled by powerful men. The scales are falling from European eyes. Trump's America raises doubts about whether it will help deter aggression or even honor its NATO commitments. If Washington now rewards Moscow and pressures Ukraine to accept a raw deal, it would be a betrayal. European governments would wonder where America might be in the future when their own security is threatened.