Donald Trump is in such a rush to end the war in Ukraine, that he seems willing to give Vladimir Putin the advantage in any deal. The Russian president has stuck to stringent demands that would undo Europe’s security architecture and basically turn Ukraine into a failed state.

Trump’s relationship with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly soured as Trump called Zelenskyy a "dictator" and said he "started" the country’s war with Russia, a claim we rated Pants on Fire.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Ukraine would not be excluded from negotiations to end the war, but success would depend on raising the level of trust between Moscow and Washington.