President Donald Trump has spent a lifetime negotiating. He prides himself on being a tough negotiator. He evidently learned along the way that there is a shortcut to getting a deal quickly — pre-emptive concessions.

That was his approach to ending the “endless war” in Afghanistan. And that is now his apparent approach to ending the war in Ukraine. He has already made significant opening concessions to President Vladimir Putin. The manner of the negotiations is the greatest concession of all, namely conceding the premise that Ukraine is not a sovereign country.