In a recent call with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump made one thing clear: once the war in Ukraine is over, Washington should focus on “large-scale trade” with Russia. Forget sanctions. Forget holding Russia accountable for its war crimes.

After Trump’s third phone call with Putin since his inauguration, it appears there will be no letup in fighting and less U.S. pressure on Moscow.

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Tatarstan, which once strove to break away from Russia, has become indispensable to realizing the Kremlin’s grand foreign policy ambitions since the invasion of Ukraine.Subscribe here so you never miss an issue.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is in Russian city of Kazan to attend 16th International Economic Forum Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum 2025 - Anadolu Ajansı

A two-hour-plus call was an eyebrow-raising shift in both substance and tone from Donald Trump: there was no demand for Vladimir Putin to sign onto an immediate cease-fire. And the White House was pulling back from its efforts to halt the fighting.

The Kremlin has withstood pressure for an immediate cease-fire as a precondition for peace talks, but the Russian president’s push for normalizing relations with the United States appears in limbo.

Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants and guests of the 16th International Economic Forum Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum.

The White House disputes the account, saying the U.S. president believes Russia is winning in Ukraine but still wants peace.