“I Deeply Respect Donald Trump,” Says Putin, Calls U.S. President ‘Courageous’

Moscow: In a wide-ranging statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised former U.S. President Donald Trump, describing him as a “very courageous person” and highlighting his survival of two assassination attempts. Putin also expressed appreciation for Trump’s stated commitment to ending the war in Ukraine.

“I deeply respect Donald Trump. He has travelled a long and difficult road. He survived two assassination attempts. He is a very courageous person, that’s for sure,” Putin said.

Speaking further on Trump’s foreign policy positions, Putin acknowledged the former U.S. leader’s interest in conflict resolution. “As for what he is doing within the country, or in the Middle East, or his efforts to achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis, we value that a lot,” he added.

Putin also noted Trump’s recent comments admitting that resolving the war in Ukraine may be more challenging than previously thought. “That’s true and expected,” Putin said. “It’s one thing to observe from the outside; it’s another to take part. Real life is always difficult.”

The Russian leader indicated openness to a future meeting with Trump, suggesting that the former president had raised the possibility several times. “Thanks to Trump, U.S.-Russia relations are progressing,” Putin said, adding that a future meeting could potentially lead to a “new level of partnership.”

Trump Calls Putin ‘Misguided’ during the NATO summit

Putin’s remarks followed recent remarks from Donald Trump during the NATO summit in The Hague. There, Trump described Putin as “misguided” and admitted that his earlier expectations for resolving the Ukraine conflict had been overly optimistic.

“I think it’s a great time to end it [the war],” Trump stated. “I’m going to speak to Vladimir Putin, see if we can get it ended. I thought we would have had that settled easily.”

When asked whether Putin’s ambitions extended beyond Ukraine, Trump responded, “It’s possible,” echoing long-standing concerns within the U.S. and NATO over Russia’s broader geopolitical intentions.

As tensions continue over the Ukraine conflict, the mutual remarks signal both friction and the possibility of diplomatic movement between the two powerful leaders.

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