IF DONALD TRUMP hoped that Vladimir Putin would accept his call for an immediate 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine during their telephone call on March 18th, he was disappointed.
After more than two hours of talks, Mr Putin agreed only to smaller initial steps to limit the fighting: a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure, and “technical negotiations” to ease navigation in the Black Sea.
The two presidents did, however, play up the prospect of a broader geopolitical deal in the future. And Russians will certainly be pleased by their agreement to host hockey matches in each other’s countries—one of Mr Putin’s favourite sports.
