“We needed to write something that had some meat,” said David Salas-de la Cruz, who directs the chemistry graduate program at #Rutgers University-Camden. He likened the effort to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or #NATO, a military #alliance of 32 countries.

“This is not just about money,” he said. “This is about the essence of #education.”

The announcement sends a clear signal to #Ukraine & its western allies that #Russia & #NorthKorea maintain a #military #alliance, potentially justifying deployment to other areas, including in Ukraine itself, said Artyom Lukin from Russia's Far Eastern Federal University.

"Having the option of deploying them to Ukraine strengthens Moscow's positions in the Washington-mediated ceasefire negotiations that are entering a crucial stage right now," he said.

Lower-level diplomats from #Britain, #France, #Germany, #Ukraine, & the #UnitedStates still gathered for technical talks. But the absence of #MarcoRubio or #SteveWitkoff, #Trump’s chief negotiator w/ #Russia, renewed fears that Ukraine & #Europe were being marginalized [abandoned] as the #Trump admin seemed to be working primarily w/Russia.

In his statement, #Trump accused #Zelensky of making “inflammatory” statements that he claimed would prolong the war [#gaslighting #lies #projection]

“If he wants #Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it 11 years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” Trump [moronically] wrote. “The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the “killing field,” & nobody wants that!”

On Wednesday afternoon, #YuliaSvyrydenko, the Ukrainian economy minister, also vowed that her country “will never recognize the occupation of #Crimea.” Writing on social media she said that “#Ukraine is ready to negotiate—but not to surrender. There will be no agreement that hands #Russia the stronger foundations it needs to regroup & return with greater violence.”

“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians & the Ukrainians, & it’s time for them to either say yes or for the #UnitedStates to walk away from this process.…The only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, to freeze this thing and to get on with the business of actually building a better #Russia & a better #Ukraine,” #JDVance said.

#JDVance, speaking during a trip to India, said the #US would “walk away” from the *peace* process if both Ukraine & #Russia refused to accept the American [Russian] terms. But President Zelensky was clearly the target.

It was the first time a #US official had publicly laid out a plan to end the war that favors #Russia in such stark terms.

A *peace* plan that leaves Russian forces deep inside eastern #Ukraine would be welcome news in Moscow. #Putin has said for almost year that he would accept a *cease-fire* in which Ukraine withdraws troops from the 4 regions that Russia has *claimed* as its own & drops its aspirations to join #NATO.

Ukrainian & European officials meeting in London on Wednesday will be faced w/ a fast-moving #US proposal to recognize #Russia’s ILLEGAL annexation of #Crimea & freeze the war’s front lines as part of a *peace agreement*, acc/to several people familiar w/internal deliberations.

#Ukraine’s #allies are hoping to win #security guarantees & reconstruction programs for the embattled country in exchange for any such territorial concessions. [don’t do it]