Putin obstructs Trump’s best-laid plans for Ukraine

At what point in a negotiation do you conclude that the other side is deliberately stalling? In business, the answer to this question is the definition of whether a sale goes through or dies on the vine. In war, it’s a matter of life and death. Nearly one month since President Donald Trump's administration opened indirect peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, many have already concluded that the effort is slowly dying, if not already dead.

- Daniel DePetris

None of the temporary, short-term ceasefire arrangements the White House has struck have been implemented, The 3O-day truce, presented with fanfare on March Il, was quickly watered down by Russian President Viadimir Putin after he questioned how the arrangement would work, who would be responsible for ensuring the parties met their commitments and how violators would be punished for breaching the terms.