Moscow has expanded military recruitment and boosted weapons production. Peace could jeopardize the resulting economic gains.

The reason why Vladimir Putin is slow-walking peace talks with Ukraine might make sense—or, more specifically, dollars and cents. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Russian president has reoriented the economy to produce the weapons of war and pay the soldiers who are waging it,

The Kremlin says President Trump and Russian President Putin have agreed to a new prisoner swap, but the White House has yet to confirm. This as Trump has become increasingly critical of Putin and Russia’s war with Ukraine.