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Putin Nears a Prize: Restoring Ties With the U.S. While Giving Up Nothing

Russia has sought to separate the war in Ukraine from potential business deals and diplomacy with the United States. Its efforts now appear to be working.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Anchorage, Alaska, last year.
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In Trump’s Diplomacy, Insults Are a One-Way Street. Ukraine Is the Latest Example.

The latest rift with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine serves as a reminder that President Trump readily lashes out at other world leaders, only to grow outraged if they fight back.

© Alex Kent/The New York Times

President Trump’s belligerence leaves many world leaders reluctant to cross him for fear of blowback or even, depending on his mood, a fresh round of tariffs.
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When Starshield Cut Out, Ukrainian Drones Fell From the Skies

Ukraine says it still doesn’t know why the military satellite internet service, a sister to Starlink, was abruptly throttled, leaving troops vulnerable to Russian attacks.

© Reuters

A Ukrainian soldier flying a drone in the Donetsk region last week. Members of the military have reported issues with drone connectivity since Starshield was disrupted.
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Who Is Stephen James Hubbard, the American Released From Russian Jail?

Mr. Hubbard, a 74-year-old teacher, was held for more than four years on what the State Department called fabricated charges.

© Moscow City Court Press Service

A still from video released by the Moscow City Court Press Service showing Stephen Hubbard at a hearing in the Russian capital in 2024.
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Russia Releases American Stephen Hubbard From Prison, State Media Reports

The move buys good will with President Trump while costing the President Vladimir V. Putin — who is wanted for war crimes — little.

© Moscow City Court, via Associated Press

A photo provided by the Moscow City Court showing Stephen James Hubbard in court in 2024.
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Trump Says He Asked Putin to Release an American Jailed in Russia

The president called for the return of Stephen James Hubbard, a Michigan teacher seized from his home in Ukraine months after Russia invaded that country.

© Moscow City Court, via Reuters

A photograph provided by the Moscow City Court showing Stephen James Hubbard during a hearing in 2024.
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Why Zelensky Took the Gloves Off This Time With Trump

Staying quiet is riskier than speaking up, Ukrainian officials say, as President Trump goes further than ever in prioritizing Russia’s interests.

© Ludovic Marin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at the European Union summit in Brussels last week.
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Trump’s Push for Deals With Russia Powers His Frustration With Ukraine

The series of recent steps by the president that seem to favor Vladimir Putin reflect his intensifying desire to normalize the relationship with Moscow even if it means further undercutting Ukraine.

© Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times

President Trump with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at Mar-a-Lago in December.
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Russian Satellite Makes a Menacing Approach to Another Craft in Orbit

Although Kosmos 2612 is now backing away, the maneuver raised alarm bells for analysts who see it as part of a pattern of Russian aggression.

© ICEYE

An artist’s concept of a satellite made by ICEYE, a multinational company that provides three-dimensional images of Earth’s surface.
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Trump Is Pushing Ukraine to Surrender to Russia, Zelensky Says

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he didn’t want to believe that Washington wanted an end to the war at Ukraine’s expense. “But that’s how it looks,” he added.

© Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press

Damage from a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. The country has complained about what it describes as lapses in U.S. intelligence sharing before attacks.
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Ukraine Uses F-16s to Shoot Down Russia’s Jet-Powered Drones

The fighters are a key tool against Moscow’s latest weapon of choice. But deploying the multimillion-dollar planes to counter drones is an imperfect fix.

© Andreea Campeanu for The New York Times

The Fetesti Air Base Air Base in Borcea, Romania, this month. The base is the only training site outside the United States where Ukrainian pilots fly the F-16.
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Trump Defends Plans to Ease Russia Sanctions and Hints at a Hostage Deal

The president on Sunday justified his reversal of almost five years of sanctions against Russia as part of peace negotiations. He did not name any hostage.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

President Trump wrote on social media on Sunday: “I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.”
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Zelensky Says Trump Risks ‘Historic Mistake’ If He Backs Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine pressed Sunday for more information on possible restrictions to Starshield, a U.S.-provided satellite internet service used by the Ukrainian military.

© Nicolas Tucat/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in Brussels on Friday.
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Migrants From Ukraine and Sudan to Keep Deportation Protections for Now

Temporary Protected Status for the two countries was set to expire on Monday. The Trump administration said an announcement would be made “at the appropriate time.”

© Valerie Plesch for The New York Times

The decision to hold off on an announcement about Ukrainian and Sudanese migrants mirrored a similar move by the Trump administration last month to allow people from El Salvador to keep their deportation protections for now.
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Graham Breaks With Trump Over Russia Sanctions Law Her Brother Championed

Senator Darline Graham, appointed to fill the Senate seat of her late brother, Lindsey, gently disagreed with the president’s decision to exempt Russia from the sanctions legislation.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Senator Darline Graham at a hearing in Washington last month.
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