When American journalist John Reed documented his eyewitness account of the 1917 Russian Revolution, he titled his book Ten Days That Shook the World.

But for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, ten days would be too long—within just one week, they have shaken global politics.

It all started with a phone conversation between Putin and Trump on February 12, during which they reaffirmed their presidential commitments to establishing diplomatic ties.

This was followed by the Munich Security Conference and escalating tensions between Europe and the United States.

One image dominated Russian newspapers on Wednesday morning: high-ranking Russian and American officials sitting at the negotiation table in Riyadh.

Next came the high-level diplomatic talks between Russia and the U.S. in Saudi Arabia—the first of their kind since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

This week marked a shift in alliances: Europe and Ukraine, compelled by circumstances, were forced to respond to these developments, which rattled European security and positioned Russia exactly where it wanted to be—at the forefront of global politics, without making any concessions.

One striking image dominated Russian newspapers on Wednesday morning: high-ranking Russian and American officials sitting at the negotiation table in Riyadh.

The Kremlin wants both Russian citizens and the international community to see that Western efforts to isolate Russia over the Ukraine war have failed.

Russian media have welcomed the prospect of warmer relations with Washington while mocking European and Ukrainian leaders.

“Trump knows he has to make concessions [to Russia] because he is negotiating with the side that won the Ukraine war,” wrote the pro-Kremlin tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets. “He will make compromises—not at America’s expense, but at the expense of Europe and Ukraine.”

People are watching and waiting to see whether Trump will truly become Russia’s new ally and whether he could bring an end to the Ukraine war.

“Trump is a businessman. He only cares about making money,” said Nadezhda. “I don’t think much will change. A lot needs to happen before the situation shifts.”

“Perhaps these [Saudi Arabia] negotiations will help,” said Giorgi. “It’s time to put an end to this enmity.”

“Trump is active. But will he actually do anything?” That is the big question.

“We dream that these negotiations will lead to peace. This is the first step, and it might even help our economy. Food and other goods are becoming more expensive here. That’s partly because of the ‘special military operation’ [the Ukraine war] and the overall global situation.”

Putin and Trump have spoken by phone; their teams have met in Saudi Arabia; and soon, a presidential summit between the two leaders is expected to take place.

Just days ago, Moskovsky Komsomolets attempted to imagine what the two leaders might have said during their phone call last week.

They came up with this dialogue:

“Trump called Putin.”

“Vladimir! You have a cold country, and I have a cold country. Why don’t we just divide the world?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying for a long time! Let’s do it!”

Will it happen? We shall see.