Flattery and pressure — coupled with President Trump’s growing dissatisfaction with President Vladimir V. Putin — have helped build momentum for new economic punishments.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the United States and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks after he met with his Russian counterpart in Malaysia.

Following the Pentagon announcing a pause on weapons, the U.S. president said Ukraine must defend itself from Russia.

The Russian leader is convinced that Moscow’s battlefield superiority is growing, and that Ukraine’s defenses may collapse in the coming months, according to people close to the Kremlin.

The latest assault included more drones in a single night than Russia used in the entire month of July last year.

Former Vice President Mike Pence says he thinks isolationists “may have lost some of their footing” in President Donald Trump’s administration, as he praised Trump’s tougher talk toward Russia’s Vladimir Putin and his decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.

Kazakhstan, whose close ties with Russia and China have made it a significant regional player in Central Asia, has said it is ready to reach a compromise with the Trump administration over tariffs due to take effect next month.