Source: Resist Putin’s extremist demands, Mr. President — Americans will back you
弗拉基米尔·普京仍对乌克兰全面停火提出过分要求；致力于和平的唐纳德·特朗普总统可能很快就需要放弃礼节，拿出大棒。 如果他这样做，大多数美国人都会支持他。 根据白宫的报道，在周二的谈话中，特朗普确实让普京同意“能源和基础设施停火”，并就“全面停火和永久和平”进行正式谈判。 克里姆林宫还表示，乌克兰和俄罗斯将于周三开始小规模的战俘交换。 这是一个开始，但普京公开排除了停火的可能性，除非他首先完全停止对乌克兰的所有外国军事援助和情报共享。 如果他坚持这样做，那么是时候采取大棒了——无论是对普京等人实施更严厉的制裁，还是对乌克兰提供更致命的援助。 很难相信弗拉德真的希望唐纳德·特朗普先放弃自己的所有筹码，或者给莫斯科拖延谈判的充分动机，而莫斯科则对基辅突然陷入困境的军队进行横冲直撞，或者准备一次毁灭性的攻击，就像三年前它未能完成的那次一样。 特朗普不是傻瓜，美国人也不站在俄罗斯一边。 这家伙是个野蛮的暴徒，欺负邻居，对敌人释放毒气，镇压自己的人民，恐吓平民，甚至绑架儿童。 值得注意的是，一项新的盖洛普民意调查发现，美国公众对基辅的支持正在增长：46% 的美国人认为华盛顿没有为乌克兰提供足够的帮助，这是自战争开始以来乌克兰在这里获得的最高支持率——自 12 月以来上升了 16 个百分点，自 10 月以来上升了 21 个百分点。 与此同时，认为我们做得太多的人数比例从 12 月份的 37% 下降到 30%。 大多数人（53%）实际上希望帮助乌克兰收回被俄罗斯夺走的领土，即使这会延长冲突——而 45% 的人希望尽快结束战争，让俄罗斯保留被盗的土地。 特朗普试图结束战争是正确的，但实现和平需要实力——包括如果普京继续玩游戏，加强援助乌克兰。 请记住，俄罗斯本身的人力和物力正在耗尽。 它的经济陷入困境。 如果普京意识到如果拒绝谈判，他可能会面对一个刚刚变强的乌克兰，那么停火，甚至持久的和平协议，应该会突然变得更有吸引力。
Vladimir Putin is still demanding the moon for a full Ukraine ceasefire; peacemaking President Donald Trump may soon need to drop the niceties and break out the sticks.
If he does, most Americans will back him.
In their talk Tuesday, Trump did get Putin to agree to “an energy and infrastructure ceasefire,” plus formal negotiations toward “a full ceasefire and permanent peace,” per a White House readout.
The Kremlin also flagged a small Ukraine-Russia prisoner exchange to begin Wednesday.
It’s a start, but Putin’s publicly ruling out a ceasefire unless he first gets a total halt on all foreign military aid and intelligence-sharing to Ukraine.
If he insists on that, it’s time for those sticks — whether harsher sanctions on Putin & Co. or more-lethal aid to Ukraine.
Hard to believe Vlad truly expects Donald Trump to give up all his own leverage up-front, or give Moscow every incentive to drag out talks while it rampages over Kyiv’s suddenly hobbled and -blinded forces, or preps a devastating attack like the one it failed to pull off three years back.
Reality check: Trump’s no dummy, and Americans aren’t on Russia’s side.
The guy’s a savage brute who bullies neighbors, poisons his enemies, represses his own people, terrorizes civilians, even kidnaps children.
Notably, US public support for Kyiv is growing, a new Gallup poll found: 46% of Americans think Washington isn’t doing enough to help Ukraine, the highest level of support Ukraine’s enjoyed here since the war began — up 16 points since December and 21 since October.
Meanwhile, the share who think we’re doing too much has plunged from 37% in December to 30%.
And a majority, 53%, actually want to help Ukraine reclaim territory it’s lost to Russia, even if it prolongs the conflict — vs. 45% who want to end it quickly and let Russia keep land it’s stolen.
Trump is right to try to end the war, but getting to peace will require strength — including, if Putin keeps playing games, strengthening Ukraine.
Remember, Russia itself is running out of manpower and materiel.
Its economy is in the gutter.
If Putin realizes he could face a freshly fortified Ukraine if refuses to talk turkey, then a cease-fire, maybe even a lasting peace deal, should suddenly look more attractive.
