President Donald Trump has declined to say whether he trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy more, telling CBS News interviewer Ross Douthat that he gets along with both leaders. However, his explanation of the tensions between Moscow and Kyiv has drawn attention after he suggested that Russia was shown “great disrespect” during the leaders’ first meeting.
The exchange took place during Trump’s interview with Douthat for CBS News’ 60 Minutes, in which the president discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and his efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict. Trump described the hostility between Putin and Zelenskyy as a major obstacle to peace and insisted that an agreement was close.
Trump Refuses to Name the Leader He Trusts More
Douthat directly asked Trump: “Who do you trust more, President Putin or President Zelenskyy?”
Trump responded: “Well, I’d rather not say, but I get along with both.”
He then returned to his argument that the personal hostility between the two leaders was preventing a peace agreement. Trump maintained that he believed the war would end soon and claimed that his involvement was the reason an agreement would eventually be reached.
His response avoided directly identifying which leader he considered more trustworthy, leaving the question unanswered.
The Controversial Reference to Disrespecting Russia
The conversation became more pointed when Douthat asked whether Zelenskyy’s hostility towards Putin was understandable, considering that Russia invaded Ukraine.
Trump acknowledged that it was, but immediately added that during the leaders’ first meeting, “there was great disrespect shown to Russia.”
Douthat challenged the comparison, effectively asking whether disrespect could be weighed against an invasion. The exchange highlighted a fundamental disagreement over how the conflict and the responsibility for its continuation should be understood.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the war has continued despite repeated diplomatic efforts to secure a settlement.
Trump Maintains That a Peace Agreement Is Close
Trump argued that the personal animosity between Putin and Zelenskyy was a central obstacle to negotiations. He also rejected the suggestion that Putin might be stringing him along, despite Douthat pointing to the continued fighting and the absence of a peace agreement.
The president reiterated that the war would never have started during his previous four-year term and claimed that he was now close to bringing it to an end.
However, the interview did not establish a final agreement or confirm that either side had accepted the terms of a settlement. The central challenge remains finding an arrangement acceptable to Ukraine and Russia.
The Question That Remains Unanswered
Trump’s refusal to say whom he trusts more leaves an important question hanging over his diplomatic approach. His position is that he must maintain relationships with both leaders to negotiate peace. Yet his comments about Russia being disrespected, even while acknowledging that Ukraine was invaded, are likely to keep the debate over his approach to the conflict alive.
For Ukraine, the distinction between diplomatic disagreements and the consequences of Russia’s invasion remains central. For the Trump administration, the challenge is turning promises of an imminent agreement into a settlement that can actually be achieved.
Follow OGM News for more updates on Trump’s foreign policy, the Russia-Ukraine war and developments in international diplomacy.
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