Kremlin Responds to Trump’s Anger Over Putin’s Statements

Following President Trump's expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin over comments about Ukrainian leadership, the Kremlin emphasizes their commitment to working with the United States, despite tensions. Trump has indicated potential economic repercussions for Russia if a ceasefire is not agreed upon.

Russia has reassured the United States of its ongoing collaboration after President Trump expressed considerable anger with President Vladimir Putin. In the Kremlin's initial response to Trump's public criticisms, spokesman Dmitry Peskov attempted to downplay the perceived rift, stating, "We continue working with the US side, first of all, on building our relations." He added that there were no immediate plans for a phone call between the two leaders but noted Putin would be amenable to such discussions “if necessary.”

Trump's comments came during an NBC News interview in which he voiced his displeasure over Putin's remarks about undermining Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's credibility. He further threatened to introduce a steep 50% tariff on countries importing Russian oil unless Putin agreed to a ceasefire. This marked a noticeable shift in Trump's tone toward Putin, who has typically avoided direct criticism in previous statements.

The U.S. and Russia have been engaged in negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, with Trump often at odds with Zelensky while refraining from direct criticism of Putin—until now. The catalyst for Trump's ire was Putin's suggestion of forming an interim UN-backed government in Ukraine that would replace Zelensky. Trump remarked, “You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when... Putin started getting into Zelensky's credibility, because that's not going in the right location.” He further warned that any change in leadership would stall peace negotiations.

Peskov later acknowledged that aspects of Trump's remarks during the NBC interview were "paraphrased." Meanwhile, some Russian media outlets echoed Trump's sentiments, with the pro-Kremlin newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets criticizing the U.S. president for not upholding agreements that would prevent Ukraine from targeting Russian energy infrastructure. The paper concluded its editorial by suggesting that "all agreements on the level of President Trump are only worth a few pennies on market day," while asserting that Moscow remains open to negotiating with the U.S. president.