None of it has convinced President Donald Trump to drop his tacit approval of the invasion. The escalation coincided with the cutoff of new U.S. military aid to Ukraine under Trump. Last June, in response to a Ukrainian attack on a Russian airfield, Trump again sided with Russia. Putin continued the attacks throughout the entire period, after which Trump claimed Putin had honored his pledge. To this day, Trump continues to call the investigation into that election interference a “hoax” that has also unfairly impugned Putin’s good name.

Source: Huffington Post February 19, 2026 15:02 UTC