US President Donald Trump’s 50-day pause ahead of possible secondary sanctions on Russia gifts the Kremlin a window to exploit the incremental gains of recent weeks in Ukraine’s east.

Welcome back to another edition of My Take 5, your weekly round-up of top international news. This week we are covering Trump’s possible U-turn on Putin, Estonia and the Baltics get ready with HIMARS,

President Donald Trump announced this week that the U.S. will send Patriot air-defense missiles to Ukraine and threatened new tariffs on Russia. Will Vladimir Putin back down? What should Trump's next move be? And what does the future hold for Ukraine? Newsweek contributors Daniel R. DePetris and Dan Perry debate:

It remains to be seen just how lasting and severe President Donald Trump’s turn against Vladimir Putin will be. Trump has criticized the Russian president in unprecedented terms in recent days and signaled he’ll send vital weapons to Ukraine.

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not ready for compromises” to end his brutal war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Post in an exclusive interview on Wednesday — but President Trump has the power to bring him to his knees by speeding up tough sanctions that could cause a “social explosion” in Russia.

Melania Trump has highlighted Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine in private conversations, President Trump said on Monday.

Donald Trump has been growing increasingly angry with Putin ignoring his strict 50-day peace deal – with a senator warning what might come next for Russia if he doesn't step in line

Ivo Daalder, a senior fellow at Harvard Belfer Center, says that President Donald Trump realizes that he needs to change course because the Russian leader has been playing him "for years."