Republican defense hawks are riding high after a series of events abroad prompted President Donald Trump to lean away from his more quasi-isolationist roots in his first term. His bombing of Iran, increased aggression toward Russia,

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

Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov exchanged new ideas for ending the Ukraine conflict amid Trump's consideration of increased sanctions against Russia and military aid to Ukraine

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.

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.

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.