Not sure that’s the red meat swap his base is looking for. They tend to be pro Russia but it’s less of a focus now.

It would make sense to me that Russia has extra leverage with their hack of the federal court system that may have brought trump to the decision to fold on Ukraine. Total speculation. It also may have been the plan all along to give vlad his concessions and all the previous breaks with putin were choreographed to fein independence from the Kremlin.