Vladimir Putin waited two days before reacting to the talks in Riyadh. The US and Russian foreign ministers met in the Saudi capital earlier this week (February 18, 2025) to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
After letting the matter “rest for a while,” the Russian president expressed cautious optimism. But, as if to temper expectations, he added in passing: “I would be happy to meet with Trump. The American president is intelligent, and the talks in Riyadh should be assessed as very important.” Putin told Russian journalists during a visit to a drone factory in St. Petersburg.
While Trump's latest statements about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have caused shock in Kiev and other European capitals, Putin praises his American counterpart while criticizing Europe: "Frankly, I am surprised by the restraint of American President Trump in relation to his allies, who, to put it bluntly, have behaved extremely impudently."
Criticism of Europe and NATO also comes from Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "The deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine is unacceptable for Russia," Peskov said, referring to the proposal to provide peacekeeping forces in a possible agreement on Ukraine.
Peskov also criticized Zelensky for the way he addressed Trump during their verbal exchange this week. After Trump accused Zelensky of having only 4 percent support in Ukraine, the Ukrainian president responded by saying he was “living in a bubble of disinformation.”
Accusations of denying reality
This much agreement between Moscow and Washington has not been seen for a long time. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the situation with the following words: “Russia notices the nervous reaction of the West to Russian-American contacts. They are becoming quite hysterical.” She also said that the West – apparently referring to its European allies – has chosen “the path of denying reality” and “rejecting any moral and ethical concepts.”
Malicious gloating also comes from the Russian state television channel “Channel One.” The host of the “60 Minutes” program, Olga Skabeyeva, stated: “Europe does not want to admit that the world is changing. But it is changing very quickly.” Although she expressed dissatisfaction with the EU’s introduction of the sixteenth package of sanctions against Russia, she is confident that “all sanctions will be lifted next week.”
The tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda calls Zelensky “the kid in green pants” whom Europe “unconditionally and senselessly defends.” According to the newspaper, the only result of such an attitude will be to bring Trump even closer to Russia.
The daily newspaper "Arguments and Facts" quotes a Russian political analyst who is convinced that Trump will soon remove Zelensky: "Trump wants Zelensky, who is connected to his enemies, to disappear." The paper even speculates about the "most suitable hiding places" for the Ukrainian president after his future overthrow. On the other hand, Putin is portrayed as a winner, no longer isolated in the West.
"War criminal as an equal interlocutor"
The fact that Putin has suddenly become an acceptable interlocutor for the Americans has also been noticed by former Russian opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov – but without enthusiasm. In an interview with DW, he summed up the situation this way: "The war criminal who started all this is now being treated as an equal interlocutor in negotiations."
And he adds: "This means that you can first create a problem and then force world leaders to negotiate with you about how to solve it."
Another former Russian opposition figure, Andrei Pivovarov, is more skeptical about the possibility of a rapprochement between Russia and the US. In an interview with DW, he emphasized that the Americans always leave room for a radical 180-degree change of direction.
Speaking about Putin's upcoming talks with Trump, which White House sources say could take place as early as this month in Saudi Arabia, Pivovarov said: "We don't know what positions the US will actually take. Right now we only see an exchange of friendly statements with Russia and Putin." However, he added: "That's just a carrot - and the stick will come if the Americans don't come to an agreement with the Russians."
War bloggers warn of caution
Even well-known Russian military bloggers, who otherwise support the war against Ukraine, warn against celebrating too soon. In their opinion, the main winner of the war is the United States – Europe is divided, Russia is weakened, and a freeze on the conflict would be beneficial for everyone.
Normalizing relations with the US would be beneficial for Russia, but, as they emphasize, one should always keep in mind that the next American president could change everything again in four years.
Bonus video:
