Ukrainian soldiers walk in a trench as they guard their position in the Luhansk region on Monday. AFP/Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet his Ukrainian counterpart next week for the first time in two months, officials in both countries said, intensifying a fresh diplomatic push that could force Ukraine’s government to choose between pressing ahead with its military campaign against pro-Russia separatists or making concessions to Russia to stop the bloodshed. Calls for a cease-fire are growing louder from both Moscow and Europe amid a deepening humanitarian crisis. But Ukrainian politicians and voters are deeply skeptical of agreeing to a truce now, since doing so could give separatists the chance to consolidate control over some territory and provide Russia with a long-term mechanism to influence events in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said the meeting in Minsk, Belarus, on Aug. 26 could lead toward a peace plan to end […]