This is the Friends of History Debating Society. I am Gaius, John Bachelor, and Dramaticus,

Maglevilleus is here at year's end to stew over headlines that are highly suggestive.

I begin with the headlines out of the London Telegraph.

London Telegraph, why?

Because it has a pipeline right to the Ministry of Defence. and the Ministry of Defense in London is

wired into NATO as tightly as you can get. So the headlines out of the

telegraph, they may be accurate, they may be inaccurate, but they're what they believe at the moment at the

Ministry of Defense. That means Keith believes it, that means Washington

believes it. headline, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, urged to stop dithering over Ukraine funding.

Former Defense Secretary's Ministry of Defense called on government to pledge at least another 2.3 billion pounds amid

concerns UK is holding back, keeps war efforts.

Another headline, Minister of Defence, Ukraine could recall men living abroad to boost battle-stricken

forces.

And now we turn to the Pentagon's conversation with New York Times reporters. This one is

surprising as well and Germanicus will help us understand it. Within these last hours, Putin quietly signals he is

open to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Despite its bravado and public, the Kremlin, writes the New York Times subhead, has indicated

its interest in striking a deal to halt the war so long as Russia could still declare a victory.

Dramaticus, I'm glad you're going to plunge into this thicket.

The Ministry of Defense says,

Sunak is dithering.

Keith says, weak is dithering.

Kief says, we're running out.

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