Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton said that Trump believes Vladimir Putin is his friend and assumes that a good personal relationship translates into good U.S.–Russia relations, calling that view a major oversimplification. Bolton argued that Putin does not see Trump as a friend at all, but rather as someone he can manipulate, drawing on his KGB training.

Amid the European Union’s plans to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, China said it continues to oppose sanctions that violate international law and lack approval from the UN Security Council. The statement was made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gao Jiakun.

The Russian dictator once again delivered his usual “stand-up” routine about the goals of the so-called “special military operation,” openly stating that if Russia’s terms are not accepted—terms that amount to Ukraine’s capitulation—Russian forces will simply continue the war. How many more of these speeches does Putin need to give, and how many more Ukrainian civilians must die, before the U.S. administration accepts that Russia has no interest in ending this war?