Donald Trump News : President Donald Trump ignited fresh controversy on Friday, March 7, claiming he finds Russian President Vladimir Putin more amenable to peace talks than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a week after a contentious Oval Office showdown with the latter.
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| Trump finds Putin more negotiable than Zelensky |
Highlights
- Trump says Putin is easier to negotiate with than Zelensky after a tense Oval Office clash.
- Remarks follow Trump’s March 1 push for Ukraine to cede territory for peace with Russia.
- Zelensky warns U.S. policy shift could prolong war as allies criticize Trump’s stance.
Speaking on Fox News’s Hannity, Trump boasted of his rapport with Putin—“I trust him, he trusts me”—while slamming Zelensky as “stubborn” and “ungrateful” for rejecting U.S. pressure to cede territory to end Russia’s war. The remarks, amplifying a rift exposed during their March 1 meeting, have deepened allied unease over Trump’s pivot toward Moscow.
A Clash in the Oval Office
The Oval Office encounter last Saturday saw Trump and Zelensky spar over Ukraine’s war strategy, with Trump urging an “immediate ceasefire” and concessions—Crimea and Donbas—to Russia, per sources cited by Reuters and Axios.
Zelensky, backed by $4 billion in paused U.S. aid since March 4, pushed back, reportedly calling it a “betrayal” and warning Putin would exploit weakness.
Trump, visibly irked, later dubbed Zelensky a “con artist” on Truth Social, contrasting him with Putin, whom he praised as “smart” and “reasonable” during Friday’s broadcast. “Putin wants peace—I could wrap this up in a day,” Trump claimed, citing his December 2024 Mar-a-Lago call with the Russian leader.
The clash reflects Trump’s broader Ukraine skepticism, voiced in his March 5 Congressional address, where he questioned billions in aid—“more than Europe’s chipped in”—and paused military support, forcing allies to scramble. Sean Hannity pressed Trump on Putin’s sincerity, to which he replied, “I know him better than anyone. Zelensky’s the problem here.”
Allies Alarmed, Ukraine Digs In
Zelensky, addressing Ukraine’s parliament Friday, warned that Trump’s stance risks a “frozen conflict” that emboldens Putin, noting Russia holds 20% of Ukrainian land after three years of war. “If America steps back, this doesn’t end—it festers,” he said, as U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged a “coalition” to fill the $10 billion U.S. aid gap, per the Kiel Institute.
NATO’s Mark Rutte, already reeling from Trump’s March 6 Greenland and Panama threats, urged unity, calling the Putin tilt “reckless” amid alliance strains.
Domestically, Trump’s remarks split reactions. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), now VP, backed the Putin outreach—“Diplomacy beats endless war”—while Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) accused Trump of “cozying up to a dictator,” citing Putin’s 2022 invasion that killed thousands. Analysts see Trump leveraging his 2019 Putin rapport, though no new Russia talks are confirmed beyond January’s vague “peace framework” hints from Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
A Risky Diplomatic Gamble
Trump’s Putin preference—tied to his “fixer” self-image—comes as U.S. markets wobble (Dow -300 points Friday) and Canada escalates its tariff feud, clouding his foreign policy debut. Zelensky’s team, via adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, dismissed Trump’s claim as “delusional,” arguing Putin seeks Ukraine’s annihilation, not peace. With 24 hostages still held by Hamas (per Trump’s March 6 warning) and Iran talks looming, Trump’s Ukraine pivot tests his deal-making prowess—and America’s global standing—against a backdrop of war-weary voters and rattled allies.
