Heres how Trump can triumph over Putins cease-fire sleight-of-hand

Hand it to Russian President Vladimir Putin: His response to President Donald Trump’s proposal for a cease-fire is nothing short of cunning. He seeks to avoid a clash with Trump while he continues his aggression in Ukraine — so he claims he’s open to a cease-fire, but then pivots to the “nuances” that must be explored.Those nuances are complex and include unacceptable conditions. Putin’s “yes,” in other words, is really a disguised “no” to Trump’s halting of hostilities.Remember, Putin’s objective in Ukraine is not just to secure his control of the 20% of Ukraine that he occupies but effective political control of the entire country. That requires him to conquer more territory, including the major cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson and Odessa.He doesn’t want to end military operations as his forces are making progress, even if slowly and despite the human cost.He also still needs to defeat Ukrainian forces in the Russian territory in the Kursk Oblast. Ukraine’s quick acceptance of Trump’s proposal posed a dilemma for him: how to continue the war but not provoke the US president. Putin knows Russia’s economy, now on war footing, is suffering from high inflation and interest rates that are putting Russian firms at grave risk.Recruitment for his high-casualty war is barely adequate and adds to the economic woes. So the Russian dictator is seeking to encourage the Trump team to disengage from Ukraine.Without American weapons — however they’re paid for — Ukraine would find it much harder to prevent further Russian gains.Which is why he was delighted by the White House decision to “pause” US military shipments and intelligence-sharing this month and unhappy with the decision this week to end the pause. He’s also concerned about Trump’s statement that if Putin declines to end the war, he would impose major new sanctions. He’s even more fearful that if the White House perceives him as an obstacle to peace, it might u...