Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham. He offers a frank assessment of where the Ukraine-Russia peace talks stand. Does the mere fact both sides are talking signal hope? There is some progress, yes, but there are no breakthroughs. The current talks can be simply summed up by small wins: prisoner exchanges, and deep divides: territorial claims and security guarantees. Then there’s the broader geopolitical dynamics: the role the US could play… but isn’t.