“Trump often praised or defended Putin, while Putin remained measured or even condescending. There was admiration but it was one-sided,” Ross said. “Given that this was more of a fantasy bond than an actual bond, a friendship reconciliation is unlikely to happen.” This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

A claim that President Vladimir Putin 's helicopter faced a combat incident during his visit to the Kursk region was concocted by Russia's authorities, it has been reported. Russia's Defense Ministry said that during Putin's trip to the border region where Kyiv previously staged an incursion, his aircraft came under fire from Ukrainian drones.

The Bank of Russia’s governor, who was praised for helping save the country’s economy after the invasion of Ukraine, is facing mounting pressure to reverse course on record-high borrowing costs amid worries over their toll on business.

President Donald Trump put Russian President Vladimir Putin on notice, and issued some harsh words to China and their ongoing trade negotiations during his 19th week in office.

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

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

Hundreds of foreign companies left Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including major U.S. firms like Coca-Cola, Nike, Starbucks, ExxonMobil and Ford Motor Co. But after more than three years of war,

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.

Christiane Amanpour speaks to Fiona Hill, former National Security Council Senior Director for Russian Affairs.

President Vladimir Putin's conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop enlarging NATO eastwards and lift a chunk of sanctions on Russia.

Dozens of Russian military aircraft have been destroyed in an unprecedented drone attack deep inside Russia, a Ukrainian official has said, the day before critical peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv resume in Istanbul.