President Donald J. Trump delivered a forceful warning to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office. Trump, who was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States earlier in the day, said Putin is “destroying Russia” by continuing to wage war on Ukraine.
“He can’t be thrilled, he’s not doing so well,” President Trump said of Putin’s military campaign against Russia’s western neighbor. He continued: “Russia is bigger, they have more soldiers to lose, but that’s no way to run a country.”
While Trump’s Democratic Party opponents have tried to portray him as a Putin ally, the Republican President has a history of being blunt and firm-handed with the Russian leader. Additionally, following Trump’s landslide 2024 election victory, some Russian officials expressed reservations due to what they view as Trump’s unpredictability.
Despite U.S.-Russian tensions, Trump did indicate the possibility of a forthcoming conversation with Putin. On Tuesday, Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s adviser on foreign affairs, acknowledged the potential for dialogue. Ushakov noted that Russia was aware of Trump’s comments and expressed a willingness to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine if the U.S. administration extended an invitation for talks.
“We are ready and open for dialogue with the new U.S. administration on the Ukraine conflict,” Ushakov remarked. He added that any overtures from Washington in this regard would be welcomed by Russia, signaling Moscow’s openness to negotiations.
Meanwhile, several hours before Trump’s inauguration, Putin strongly commended the new U.S. leader. Putin lauded Trump’s campaign efforts and election win as “courageous” and “convincing.”