US President Donald Trump’s 50-day pause ahead of possible secondary sanctions on Russia gifts the Kremlin a window to exploit the incremental gains of recent weeks in Ukraine’s east.

Trump’s decision to allow weapon sales to Ukraine culminated a five-month effort by allies to help Volodymyr Zelensky rebuild a relationship with the president.

The president’s decision was largely the result of the chancellor’s initiative,” Wadephul said. “Friedrich Merz played an important role in the process, as he made clear from the very beginning that he supports Ukraine.

"He's come to the same conclusion as all of us, he's playing us," one European official said of President Donald Trump's new take on Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Former Ukraine aid critics now back Trump's strategy requiring European funding for weapons to Kyiv after the president pivoted his frustration from Zelenskyy to Putin.

In response, 65 percent of Trump voters backed the provision of arms to Ukraine, almost three times the 22 percent who opposed the move. The results suggest a shift in attitudes among Trump supporters toward aid for Ukraine over the past six months.

Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world In the past two weeks, Donald Trump has woken up to something that has long been clear to most observers: Vladimir Putin has been playing him.

There has been a significant change in how Donald Trump has been speaking about Vladimir Putin and today on Americast, we look at what that could mean for Ukraine and Trump’s relationship with the Russian president.