An evidently unprepared Obama administration made no serious protest of Putin's seizure of Crimea and occupation of part of the industrial Donetsk in February 2014. The Biden administration, expecting Russia's tanks to quickly take Kyiv, ordered American diplomats evacuated in February 2022.

But in recent weeks, the relationship has begun to show signs of strain.

Trump called Putin 'crazy' over the weekend and said May 27 he's 'playing with fire' as he continues to bombard Ukraine during peace negotiations.

Trump previously said his personal relationship with Putin would usher in peace for Ukraine. Now, he says Putin's gone "absolutely CRAZY!"

The American president’s preference for praising and excusing the Russian leader has yielded no progress toward peace in Ukraine.

President Donald Trump's willingness to come to the table comes just after he condemned Russia’s recent large-scale strike against Ukraine.

Charlamagne Tha God said this week that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's egos could bring about "the end of civilization as we know it." Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email.

Historically, President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin have enjoyed a very special relationship ― at least if you’re viewing it through Trump’s perspective. As far back as 2013, Trump was envisioning a friendship with the Russian authoritarian leader,

Russia's troop buildup on Ukraine's border raises tensions. Zelenskyy and Trump push for peace talks, but Moscow's refusal to hand over memorandum stalls negotiations.