Trump hopes to flatter Putin into negotiating on Ukraine, experts say

President Donald Trump is courting Russian President Vladimir Putin with gestures of friendliness, and foreign policy experts say the aim is to lure the Kremlin into serious talks to end the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. Whether the approach can work is doubtful. Trump, who once said he was on "nobody's side" but humanity's, now appears to lean toward Moscow, according to NBC News.

The latest flashpoint came Wednesday, when envoy Steve Witkoff called Putin a humanitarian after Russia freed Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher held since 2022. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, in a difficult re-election race, called Putin a warmonger and a thug. Sen. Thom Tillis, who is not seeking another term, mocked the remark online. Asked about it, Trump said the label fit only the narrow matter of freeing a man facing life in prison.

Other moves include thanking Putin for a diesel fuel deal, inviting him to the G20 at Trump's Doral resort, and floating a three-way nuclear meeting with Xi Jinping. Trump has also sharpened his criticism of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Robert O'Brien says warmth is the only tool left; Michael Kimmage of the Brookings Institution doubts it will yield progress without real leverage.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →