Vladimir Putin came to Alaska and got the red carpet treatment, complete with a fighter jet flyover and a warm presidential handshake. The state was an ironic location for a summit given Russia’s continuing seller’s remorse over having sold it to America in the mid-19th century. While expectations were low for a full ceasefire, most observers were hoping for at least a path to negotiations.
But as he has for months now, Putin simply continued to play rope-a-dope like a boxer in the ring, ducking both a ceasefire or even a demonstrated willingness to negotiate. A subdued President Donald Trump canceled a planned luncheon to discuss broader economic and security issues with Russia, uncharacteristically refused to take questions and flew back to DC to ponder his next steps.
Clearly, it’s going to take "severe measures,” to use Trump’s own words, to get Moscow not just to sit at the bargaining table but stay for dinner. But what measures need to be up for discussion to convince the maximalist Putin to reduce his demands? Is there a specific checklist?
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