The Russia-Ukraine war has entered a brutal new phase. In July 2025, Russia unleashed its largest-ever aerial assault on Kyiv, a sign of its growing dominance on the battlefield. But how did we get here?

It was the latest in a series of almost weekly large-scale missile and drone attacks. President Trump said he “didn’t make any progress” with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

The president repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he would bring an end to the war in the first 24 hours of his second term.