Putin breaks down his isolation, with a big assist from Trump

• Putin has stepped out of isolation through fresh diplomacy, meetings and praise from the US, even as Russia keeps up the war in Ukraine.
• Trump’s moves, including possible sanctions relief and closer contact, have helped Putin regain global standing and may put him on equal footing with Xi and Trump.
• Europe is split and worried as US support for Ukraine weakens, while Putin pushes his message that Russian energy and his policies better serve voters.

BERLIN – He took a rare call from the Finnish and Norwegian leaders. He hosted Qatar’s emir and Iran’s president at a forum of gas-exporting countries.

And he squired African heads of state around a Moscow exhibition, advising them to control social media networks in their own nations, or risk mass protests like those that have gripped France. There, he promoted Russia’s answer to Starlink, but said Russia was in close contact with Elon Musk, whom he called “a brilliant man”.