Three virtual discussions among leading officials in the last two days may be a sign that cooler heads have emerged, choosing diplomacy rather than war. The Biden-Xi discussion on Monday was followed by an hour-long discussion the next day between German Chancellor Merkel and Belarus President Lukashenko, and one between French President Macron and Russia's Vladimir Putin. Each one represents a change from what has been business-as-usual, leaving the realm of hostile narrative, in favor of substance. Though a promising start toward a change, the danger of new wars remains, as long as war hawks and neoliberals control governments and mass media in the Trans-Atlantic world.
