Today Donald Trump will call Russian president Vladimir Putin in what we expect to be a cordial conversation. Trump seems to have a dangerous affinity for dictators and, despite what his administration says, any supposed “tough” talk with Russia is nothing more than a complete farce.

Here are just a few examples of when Trump has refused to be tough on Russia:

• Just this weekend, Trump once again cast doubt on whether Putin’s government attacked our democracy – even as the threat of Kremlin cyberattacks looms over our allies’ elections in Europe.

• Trump reportedly told U.N. Ambassadors in private that he did not care whether Assad stayed in power in Syria – a gift to the Kremlin, which is committed to keeping him in power.

• Trump has repeatedly refused to criticize Putin and said “it would be a fantastic thing” to get along with Putin’s Russia.
• Tillerson did not use the threat of sanctions to push Putin to abandon Assad, despite the Trump administration’s repeated claims that the Kremlin should reconsider its support for Assad.
• Tillerson did not confront Putin or Lavrov on Russia’s wide-ranging interference in the 2016 election.
• Tillerson claimed Russia had no advance knowledge of the Syrian gas attack, despite reports that U.S. intelligence indicated otherwise.
• Tillerson refused to meet with any members of civil society who are opposed to Putin’s human rights abuses, including crackdowns on political opposition, the targeting of LGBT citizens, and the stifling of free speech.