Trump Should Flatter Putin, Not Embrace Him

Come Jan. 20, President-elect Donald J. Trump will start carrying out his agenda. How does he expect to turn his promises into policy? Do his plans make sense? If not, what should he do? Finally, given the political realities of Washington, what’s most likely to happen? This is part of a series of editorials that try to answer these questions.

What he says he'll do: "There's nothing that I can think of that I'd rather do than have Russia friendly as opposed to the way they are right now," Trump said in July. He's expressed admiration for President Vladimir Putin and said he'd consider lifting sanctions imposed on Russia for its incursions into Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. And he wants to forge common cause with Russia in Syria to fight Islamic State. On the other hand, he's also threatened to shoot down Russian fighters that buzz U.S. Navy ships.