However, Trump has been tough on Russia in the past. In 2019, he approved anti-tank missile sales to Ukraine. He also withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty blaming Russian violations. And he issued economic sanctions against a Russian ship involved inbuilding the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

After Trump called Zelensky a “dictator” and began talks with Russia, even some of Zelensky’s harshest domestic critics have begun defending him.

Authoritarians like Putin often concoct ridiculous pretexts for starting wars. It's not often that an American president appears to accept them.