Is there a direct link between what US President Donald Trump says and what Russian President Vladimir Putin does? Certainly, the harsh words and bitter violence of recent days in Ukraine suggest the answer is maybe.

The Russian leader is convinced that Moscow’s battlefield superiority is growing, and that Ukraine’s defenses may collapse in the coming months, according to people close to the Kremlin.

Trump said at a Cabinet meeting that he was "not happy" with Putin, who he forcefully criticized for a second day in a row.