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

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, according to three Russian sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

Trump called Putin 'crazy' over the weekend and said May 27 he's 'playing with fire' as he continues to bombard Ukraine during peace negotiations.

A top Kremlin aide has accused Donald Trump of being “not sufficiently informed” about the situation in Ukraine after the US president said Russian leader Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire.”

Russia's troop buildup on Ukraine's border raises tensions. Zelenskyy and Trump push for peace talks, but Moscow's refusal to hand over memorandum stalls negotiations.

A ssembling Iranian drones in a Russian factory is an unusual option for a work-study programme. Few students or migrant workers, however desperate or foolhardy, would willingly sign up to become a military target. Yet that is the situation in which hundreds of young African women, some of them younger than 18, have unwittingly found themselves.

(Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, saying he knew the slain Japanese leader had dreamt of finally concluding a post-World War Two peace treaty.