Ask anyone who has ever negotiated with Donald Trump

That truth is the first casualty of war has become a cliché, writes Frida Ghitis. But it didn’t take a war for Putin’s Russia to launch a stream of falsehoods and disinformation. The deceptions started decades ago and they never stopped. The war allowed the world to see it deployed in real time.

A reminder from the past

A constant talking point on the right is that Donald Trump is strong and would never have permitted Putin to invade Ukraine. Their past relationship demonstrates the absurdity of this and we should remind ourselves of it.

The two leaders' wishes for closer relations have been thwarted -- for now.