Donald Trump recently shared how he feels about Russian President Vladimir Putin. When asked if he trusts Putin, Trump gave a short and concerning answer. He said, “I trust almost nobody to be honest with you.”
Over the years, Trump’s relationship with Putin has gone back and forth. When he first became president in 2016, they had moments of cooperation and tension. But things started to shift even more after Trump returned to the White House in 2025, especially because of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
During the 2024 election campaign, Trump said he could end the war in just 24 hours if he became president again. He pushed for a ceasefire and had several phone calls with Putin. But despite his efforts, the fighting continues.
Since then, Trump has taken a tougher stance. He put heavy tariffs on Russia and warned that they’d get worse if Russia didn’t make peace with Ukraine. In a recent meeting with his cabinet, Trump showed frustration, saying, “We get a lot of bulls*** thrown at us by Putin.”
After a meeting with NATO’s Secretary General, Trump told a BBC reporter that he’s confused and frustrated about why peace still hasn’t been reached. He said that sometimes he thinks he and Putin are close to a deal, but then something happens—like when a building in Kyiv gets bombed—and it makes him question everything. He recalled asking, “What the hell was that all about?”
When asked if he was done with Putin, Trump said he’s disappointed but not finished with him. He added that he tries not to think too much about the assassination attempt on him, saying it could deeply affect him if he let it.
Some leaked audio recordings from before Trump’s second term show that he once used very strong language when speaking about how he would handle Putin. At a private event, he reportedly told donors, “If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the s**t out of Moscow.” Trump claimed that Putin didn’t fully believe him, but maybe believed him a little—about 10%. Russia later denied that this conversation ever happened.
In a surprising move, Trump recently said the U.S. would help Ukraine defend itself by sending them Patriot air defense systems. He said Ukraine needs protection, and although he hasn’t decided how many systems to send, they will get some support.
