Trump hardened his stance on Putin after Russian strikes on Ukraine, expert says
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
A number of external factors may have influenced US President Donald Trump's attitude toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This is according to an article by RBC-Ukraine: Is Trump changing course? Criticism of Putin, weapons for Ukraine, and new sanctions coming.
According to Volodymyr Dubovyk, Director of the Center for International Studies at Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University (Ukraine), Trump may be frustrated with Putin because every conversation with him includes calls for peace, while Russia continues — and even intensifies — its strikes on Ukraine.
"This puts Trump in an awkward position. More and more people are calling him weak in this context. And that's something he can't tolerate, because above all, Trump values his ego. Just the other day, he said something similar on another issue — that he doesn't know whether it would be good for Republicans, but what matters is that it would be good for him," Dubovyk noted.
In addition, careful communication with Trump also played a significant role. A key moment was the NATO summit on June 24–25, during which European leaders openly showed support for the US president and sought his backing by agreeing to increase defense spending. Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the summit was also considered successful.
"I also think that in The Hague, he heard many calls to action from key NATO partners. Trump, of course, is known for sometimes ignoring their opinions, but in this case, it's possible that the European chorus had an effect, just like the conversation with Zelenskyy, who remains a skilled communicator," Dubovyk told the outlet.
Trump's position on Putin and Russia
On July 9, CNN released an audio recording capturing US President Donald Trump making a statement during a closed-door donor event last year.
In the audio, Trump claimed he once tried to deter Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine by threatening to bomb Moscow to hell.
The remark reportedly came during Trump's campaign for a second presidential term. The recording was made during fundraising events in 2024 in New York and Florida.
More details on the audio and Trump's statement can be found in the RBC-Ukraine article.
Trump has repeatedly — and without evidence — claimed that had he been president, Russia's war against Ukraine would never have happened. Just yesterday, Trump once again expressed dissatisfaction with Putin, referring to him as a "disappointment" and warning of a potential surprise.
