Russia Plays Hardball on Ukraine While Sweet-Talking Trump. It’s Working

Over the past two days, separate discussions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—one between the US and Ukraine, and another between the US and Russia—have sought to establish a ceasefire. Yet, while Ukraine remains engaged in negotiations with Washington, the US appears increasingly preoccupied with coddling Putin, while Russia, in turn, is raising its stakes. Shubhangi Sharma explains.