Trump keeps rewarding Russia’s Putin in exchange for nothing

President Donald Trump has granted Russian President Vladimir Putin a string of concessions without securing anything in return, according to MS NOW commentator Steve Benen. The pattern matters because Russia keeps intensifying its war in Ukraine while Washington's posture grows more favorable to Moscow.

The New York Times documented the moves, which include easing restrictions on Russian diesel fuel and sharper criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Benen adds that Trump is also steering billions of dollars toward the Russian economy, disregarding a federal ban on Russian oil imports, repeating Kremlin messaging about stalled peace efforts, spreading false claims about Ukraine, overlooking Russian help for Iran during the American war with that country, and inviting Putin to the Group of 20 summit in Miami.

On the day of the diesel announcement, the Kremlin said Putin would not negotiate with Kyiv for now, citing his anger over Ukrainian strikes during Russia's parliamentary election last month. Roughly a day later, a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia left 22 dead, four of them children. Putin has indicated he will aim at Ukraine's electricity and water systems, ahead of what Ukrainians expect to be the war's harshest winter.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →