Sandego.net – Donald Trump’s push for a rapid end to the war in Ukraine rests on a simple proposition: stopping the bloodshed could unlock both peace and economic opportunity. For Vladimir Putin, however, the conflict appears to remain tied to strategic demands that Russia has shown little willingness to abandon.

The gap between those views has repeatedly complicated Washington’s attempts to move negotiations forward. Trump has portrayed the war, now in its fifth year, as a senseless tragedy that is consuming the lives of thousands of “young, beautiful kids” each month. His approach combines pressure for a ceasefire with the prospect of renewed commercial ties, fewer sanctions and broader economic engagement with Moscow.…