American rapprochement with Russia

For decades (with a brief interruption in the 1990s and early 2000s), Washington’s stance toward Moscow had been defined by containment, sanctions, and military deterrence. Yet, seemingly overnight, rhetoric shifted from hostility to engagement. Was this development truly so unexpected? Beyond Trump’s numerous campaign pronouncements—most notably his claim that he could end the Russo-Ukrainian war in 24 hours—what deeper strategic logic underpins this apparent