The Russian media is shouting it from the rooftops. Not only did former President Donald Trump publicly meet with two of the country’s toughest men, pro-Kremlin outlets report he pledged to help Russia end the war in Ukraine.

The claim emerged from Trump’s unexpected meeting with notorious Russian UFC stars—and “Putin’s friends”—Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. The controversial MMA fighters took the opportunity to talk international diplomacy with the once and—possibly—future leader of the free world.

Trump “promised Nurmagomedov to stop the war in Ukraine,” according to news reports trumpeted by major Russian news agencies and television channels.

President Vladimir Putin outlined the kind of ludicrously one-sided settlement it would take for him to call a ceasefire just last week, and the Kremlin hopes Trump will try to bully Ukraine into accepting it if he is re-elected in November.

Russian outreach is now focused on encouraging Trump to do just that. And, of course, the Kremlin will do whatever it can to help him win.

The meeting in New Jersey between Trump and the UFC stars was labelled “historic” by the Russian media and it opens yet another potential backchannel between Trump and Putin.

“We are very proud that our heroes go to America, meet with the future president Trump and that he promises them to finish the war in Ukraine,” Magomed, a former law enforcement official from Dagestan told The Daily Beast. “Putin must be very happy, he has fatherly feelings for........

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