The controversy aside, it is clear that there are other diplomatic opportunities that Mr. Trump can take, even if history and dire warnings suggest that he may soften his enemies and allies by threatening to go to war if he doesn’t get his way. (See: Iran, Greenland, Panama.)

Here are some cards to use in the first few months.

In the fog of war, a possible deal in Ukraine

There is little evidence that Putin is willing to enter into a deal that would remove him from a war that has already cost Russia nearly 200,000 dead and more than half a million wounded. But the idea is that they should look for a way in. Since his televised debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump has been promising just that — a deal “within 24 hours,” or even one completed before he takes the oath of office.

Now, unsurprisingly, it looks very difficult. His special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, an 80-year-old retired general who served on Mr. , and that this war will end so that we can stop killing people.” Trump said he would meet with Putin “soon,” a rare term, especially since Biden hasn’t spoken to the Russian leader in nearly three years.

What would a partnership look like? First, the Biden and Trump administrations agree, mostly in private, that Russia can keep its forces in about 20 percent of Ukraine that is currently occupied – as part of a similar war that has stopped, but is not over. The Korean War in 1953. The most difficult part of any agreement is the defense agreement. Who can guarantee that Putin will not use the pause in the war to restart, recruit and train new forces, learn from the mistakes of the past three years, and attack again?

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, says Biden’s team has spent the last year “putting infrastructure in place” to support security. But Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, doubts that this is all talk. Remembering that no one paid much attention to the 1994 security agreement that Ukraine signed with the US, Britain and Russia, among others, it is said that only NATO membership can prevent Putin from attacking again.