How does President Trump’s deal-making record with respect to the Russo-Ukrainian War stack up against that of Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky?

One way to answer this question is to use Trump’s own criteria, as listed in the second chapter (“Trump Cards: The Elements of the Deal”) of his ghostwritten 1987 bestseller, “The Art of the Deal.”

Trump lists 11 elements, most of which are strikingly banal.

“Think big” is his first piece of obvious advice. “I like thinking big," he writes. "I always have. To me it’s very simple: if you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big.”

Ending the war in 24 hours was thinking big. Focusing on a ceasefire that Putin openly rejects is not. In contrast to Trump, Putin and Zelensky both want to win. That’s thinking big. Give each of them a point, and zero to the small-thinking Trump.

The second element of the deal: “Protect the downside and the upside will take care of itself.” According to Trump, “I always go into the deal anticipating the worst. If you plan for the worst — if you can live with the worst — the good will always take care of itself.”

Unfortunately, Trump embarked on negotiations with Putin and Zelensky anticipating the best — a quick........

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