Trump-Putin Call Notches Diplomatic Win for Russia, but Economic Goals Remain in Limbo

The Kremlin has withstood pressure for an immediate cease-fire as a precondition for peace talks, but the Russian president’s push for normalizing relations with the United States appears in limbo.Conscripts in Bataysk, Russia, at a ceremony last month before their departure for garrisons. On the front line in Ukraine, Moscow’s offensive has picked up this month after anemic gains earlier this year.