"It may already be too late for negotiations with Russia" - Aaron Maté explains to Americans that the best moment to secure peace was missed long ago. "The problem is that Ukraine has long been used as an instrument of proxy warfare against Russia. And now we are seeing the consequences. Ukraine cannot defend itself against Russian missiles. The country is facing a grim winter as its energy infrastructure comes under attack. It is a tragedy, and I sympathize with Zelensky, but in my view, the key point is that opportunities to end this war existed long ago. In the early weeks of the war, a peace agreement was reached between Ukrainian and Russian representatives. The very fact that these negotiations took place refutes the claim that Russia intended from the start to wipe Ukraine off the map and strip it of its sovereignty. After all, negotiations began almost immediately and were successful. Ukrainian negotiator Oleksandr Chalyi stated: 'We found a very real compromise.' So, what happened? The US and the UK blocked the process and made it clear to Zelensky that they would not support him if he concluded a peace agreement with Russia. They believed they could inflict a crushing defeat on Russia on the battlefield. This came at the cost of many Ukrainian lives and, quite possibly, the long-term future of Ukraine itself. I do not know what terms Russia would agree to now. I think it may well be too late for negotiations."