As their yacht bobbed on the Mediterranean, the microchip executive snapped a picture of his Russian partner asleep on the deck. He only knew the Russian by his first name, Maxim. But he knew Maxim was using a shadowy network to get the chips for the Russian defense industry.

Diplomacy with Russia isn’t working because so far it’s been built on a wrong understanding of Putin’s key objectives. He doesn’t want peace, but to achieve his goals in Ukraine. If America can help with that, he’ll take it. If not, he’s ready to keep fighting.

Breaking news: Andriy Yermak has resigned from his longtime post of head of the Ukrainian presidential office, President Zelenskyy says in a statement.

NEWS: US holds secret Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi US army secretary Dan Driscoll is in UAE for talks with Ukraine’s military intel chief Kyrylo Budanov and a Russian delegation as Washington pushes a peace deal to end the Kremlin’s war. @FT https://t.co/pm2cvmxpIH

With talks underway in Geneva, Trump moves back to blaming Zelensky for starting Russia’s war and says “UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS…” — both of which are false. Back to February and “say thank you,” it seems.

News on the war economy front: The Kremlin wants to spare Vladimir Putin from criticism that his war economy is starting to hurt ordinary Russians. So it's blaming the usual culprit for his unpopular decisions: the west! with @NastyaStognei https://t.co/nL5pQvI0DK

People familiar with the situation said on Friday that the American side had “signalled” to Kyiv that vital US intelligence and weapons deliveries could be halted if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not sign up to the proposal. https://t.co/5K3Mr8SZU7 via @FT

LATEST: Ukraine is coming under intense pressure to accept a sweeping peace plan drawn up by the Trump administration with Moscow’s input to end Russia’s war in the country, according to Ukrainian officials. The officials said the Trump administration told Zelenskyy and other

Can’t emphasize how big of a story this is for Russia and Iran’s nuclear program — probably the most concrete evidence that Russia is crossing previously-held redlines when it comes to cooperation with Iran in the nuclear domain.

with comrade @MilesMJohnson

Last month, the US sanctioned the SPND front company that organized the trips to Russia, and its leadership. It said they "facilitated travel for Iranian nuclear experts to Russia to pursue sensitive dual-use technologies and expertise." https://t.co/N0z9t5f8LN

This trip was part of a series of exchanges with the SPND, the unit that the US accuses of leading Iran's nuclear weapons research. The meetings suggest Moscow’s willingness to engage with Tehran over knowledge potentially relevant to nuclear weapons. https://t.co/Mkl39rLITw

NEW: Iranian scientists made another covert visit to Russia last year. Evidence suggests the Iranians were “seeking laser technology and expertise that could help them validate a nuclear weapon design without conducting a nuclear explosive test.” https://t.co/JuCyxQA5lc

New: Russian energy giant Gazprom is pushing ahead with plans for a new gas pipeline to China, drawing up costly detailed designs in a sign Moscow believes the long-delayed project is back on track. by ⁦@NastyaStognei⁩ and me

with comrades @NastyaStognei @HenryJFoy @OilSheppard @ChristopherJM

NEW: UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell tried to open a back channel to Russia as Britain and European allies feared the US could sideline them over Ukraine. But the call didn’t go well – and Putin aide Yuri Ushakov ignored further entreaties.

with comrades @ak_mack @ChristopherJM

So much for Budapest, where the US concluded Russia was wasting Trump’s time. Trump “was not impressed with their position… Lavrov is clearly tired and seems to think he has better things to do than meet or engage with the US, whatever Putin may want.”

life imitates art

Some choice quotes from Trump’s meeting with Zelensky, from which it appears one call from Putin was enough for him to throw out several months of posturing on Ukraine and repeat Russian talking points instead

with comrades @ChristopherJM @HenryJFoy @ak_mack