Can hockey break the diplomatic ice between US and Russia? [Video]

In an echo of the Cold War, ice hockey has become central to international diplomacy, after it was mentioned by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump during talks on Ukraine, and during tensions between the United States and Canada over trade.

The US and Russian presidents’ phone call on March 18 focused on Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy sites, US military aid to Kyiv, and peace negotiations.

But according to the Kremlin, Putin also brought up a subject close to his heart — ice hockey — and raised the possibility of matches between players of both countries.

“We’ve been seeing efforts by the Russians to warm up the situation with Donald Trump and vice versa… Putin is a big hockey fan,” Gary Smith, a former Canadian diplomat and author of “Ice War Diplomat”, told AFP.

Smith’s book focuses on a series of hockey matches between Canada and the Soviet Union during …