President Donald Trump has been accused of abandoning Ukraine and instead turning to Russia and Vladimir Putin in his efforts to bring an end to the Ukraine war. More widely, he appears to be signing off on a series of foreign policy reversals that favor the Kremlin. Political commentators are puzzled: is Trump really embracing the Russian president, or instead embarking on a clever, albeit dangerous, game of brinkmanship? Either way, his manner speaks volumes about the way the complex relationship between Russia and the United States has evolved over the years, and which hasn't always been so fraught.
Click through the following gallery and learn more about how this relationship began and the individuals involved in taking it forward.