What Will Trump's Game Plan Be In High-Stakes Call With Putin?

WASHINGTON -- Mainstream Washington has often fretted over encounters between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin.

The US leader has shown an affinity for the authoritarian Kremlin ruler that has stumped critics and even some allies, leading many to wonder whether the crafty former KGB colonel may use flattery and other means to get his way on issues.

Now, as Trump prepares to speak with Putin in a high-stakes call on March 18 about ending the war in Ukraine, the world is waiting to see whether he will stand his ground and demand an unconditional temporary cease-fire or acquiesce to some Russian demands.

For Ukraine, much is at stake, including its territorial integrity.

“It is important that President Trump stick to his guns and insist on a clean cease-fire. And if the Russians don’t, he needs to be ready to implement the promises he made to increase pressure on Moscow,” John Hardie, the deputy director of the Russian Program at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to...
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