Russian armed forces are creating a “security buffer zone” along the border between Russia and Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

Despite President Trump’s stalled efforts to broker peace and Russia’s planned summer offensive, analysis by Michael Kimmage (Kennan Institute) suggests the military tide in Ukraine may be turning against Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to boost Russian arms exports to other countries. "It is necessary to actively increase the volume of export deliveries," he said in a speech broadcast on state television on Friday.