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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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