A new book alleges that President Donald Trump told donors he threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with bombing Moscow if Russia invaded Ukraine.

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.

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

Trump’s decision to help Ukraine fight an onslaught of Russian attacks reverses a Pentagon decision to withhold defensive weapons.

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.

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.

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.