“Trump often praised or defended Putin, while Putin remained measured or even condescending. There was admiration but it was one-sided,” Ross said. “Given that this was more of a fantasy bond than an actual bond, a friendship reconciliation is unlikely to happen.” This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

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

An evidently unprepared Obama administration made no serious protest of Putin's seizure of Crimea and occupation of part of the industrial Donetsk in February 2014. The Biden administration, expecting Russia's tanks to quickly take Kyiv, ordered American diplomats evacuated in February 2022.