Russian officials and state media received with delight the fiery exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former US President Donald Trump at the White House. The confrontation, which was widely covered in Russian media, was described as a huge win for Moscow.
Former Russian president and deputy security council chairman Dmitry Medvedev called the exchange a “brutal dressing-down” of Zelenskyy. He claimed Trump exposed Kyiv’s motivation for more war and demanded a halt to Western military assistance. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also praised Trump for being restrained, adding he could have been even harsher.
The Kremlin had been concerned recently at Trump’s apparent readiness to accept supporting European peacekeepers in Ukraine following European leaders’ diplomatic pressure. But, Moscow’s concern faded as Trump and JD Vance, vice president, boldly challenged Zelenskyy, something pro-Kremlin leaders had seen as a pivot of diplomacy.
A Kremlin source seemed to suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin is pleased with the outcome as an opportunity to pressure for increased concessions in Ukraine. Gossip is spreading about Putin speaking shortly with Trump in order to impress upon him that Zelenskyy isn’t fit to negotiate and that he needs to be replaced.
Russian prominent figures on Telegram echoed Trump’s circle, portraying Zelenskyy as a grinch. MP Alexey Pushkov suggested that America may begin to consider possible other candidates for Ukraine’s presidency.
While some Russian commentators interpreted the incident as a harbinger of shifting world dynamics, others cautioned that too much was not being read into it and that Trump’s unpredictability continued to have the capability of surprising everyone. In the meantime, Russia appears to be poised to crank up its offensive, perceiving U.S. backing for Ukraine was abating.
