Fair point, Tessa! I think if he'd focus his attention on that aspect of the discussion, his comments might've been received more graciously. But when he keeps circling back to the U.S. and insinuating that the present situation is somehow the West's fault, it takes something away from his argument that a negotiated settlement would be preferable to risking annihilation, even if that argument does sound perfectly sensible on its own.

Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts! I appreciate it!