S8 Ep127: Unorthodox Ukraine Diplomacy and Geopolitical Realism — Mary Kissel — Kissel analyzes the "exceedingly odd" U.S. approach to Ukraine peace negotiations, wherein businesspeople framed initial proposals while bypassing traditional State Department channels.

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🗓️ 25 November 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

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Summary

Unorthodox Ukraine Diplomacy and Geopolitical Realism — Mary Kissel — Kissel analyzes the "exceedingly odd" U.S. approach to Ukraine peace negotiations, wherein businesspeople framed initial proposals while bypassing traditional State Department channels. This transactional negotiating style concerns European allies because it appears to reward Russia and establishes an unfavorable initial bargaining position. Kissel suggests the conflict will likely persist while diplomatic discussions protract. She commends Marco Rubio for prioritizing economic growth and countering Chineseand Iranian influence throughout the Western Hemisphere.

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0:00.0	This is CBS I on the world. Here's John Batchelor. This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Batchel. I welcome my
0:16.3	colleague and friend, Mary Kissel, Executive Vice President Stevenson, Incorporated. Former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State to comment on headlines that are
0:25.2	moving stories in Europe, given that they're half a day ahead of us often.
0:31.1	This is Ukraine, and the conflict zone is now a negotiating table and not a battlefield.
0:38.2	The headline, Russia signals it could reject modified U.S. peace plan for Ukraine.
0:43.4	Subhead.
0:44.4	Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggests Moscow would walk away from a proposal that differs substantially from the Alaska talks.
0:53.9	Mary, a very good evening to you.
0:55.8	This is State Department territory, and it is a puzzle momentarily that the State Department
1:01.9	was not imminently involved in this from the first. What we're told, according to the journal,
1:08.6	is that the document that we're presented with called the 28-point plan
1:12.6	was drawn up after conversations between the president's counselor, Whitkoff, and the president's
1:21.0	son-in-law, Jared Kushner, dealing with not a diplomat on the Russian side, but a man named
1:27.2	Demetriov, whose job is the head
1:29.7	of the sovereign wealth fund. However, we were given this plan with many moving parts. Right
1:36.1	away, it seemed contradictory what was being conceded by the American side and what was being
1:43.9	claimed by the Russian side. Within hours, there was a 19-point
1:47.8	plan drawn up with Europe participating and Keith participating, we're told, that left out some of the
1:54.7	major sticking points to be resolved by the leadership in all the countries involved. Here we are
2:00.6	now waiting for the next version. However, I'm struck by the leadership in all the countries involved. Here we are now waiting for the next
2:01.7	version. However, I'm struck by the ceremony of this. It's State Department's job or the
2:07.6	foreign ministry's job to draw up proposals beforehand and arrive, not working them out with
	...

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