Russia Says Trump’s Foreign Policy ‘Largely Aligns With Our Vision’

Topline

The Kremlin’s top spokesperson hailed the Trump administration’s foreign policy as being “align[ed]” with Russia in comments that aired Sunday, as President Donald Trump’s clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office has strained the U.S.’ longstanding alliance with Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Key Facts

The Trump administration “is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations,” which “largely aligns with our vision,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media in comments that aired Sunday, as translated by Agence France-Presse.

Improving the U.S.’ relationship with Russia has “a long way to go because a lot of damage has been done to the whole complex of bilateral relations,” Peskov said, but if Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s current “political will … is maintained, this path can be quite quick and successful.”

Peskov’s comments were made Wednesday, The New York Times reports, before Trump and Vice President JD Vance fought with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday, scuttling a planned minerals deal.

Trump said Ukraine was “not really in a good position right now” during the Oval Office argument and accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War III,” saying about Ukraine reaching a deal with Russia and the U.S., “You’re either gonna make a deal or we are out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out.”

The incident has sparked criticism that the Trump administration is aligning itself with Russia, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, saying the White House “appears to be … embracing Putin” and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., telling CNN on Sunday the Trump administration is “becoming an arm of the Kremlin.”

What To Watch For

It’s unclear what will happen with negotiations to bring about an end to Russia’s war with Ukraine in the wake of Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy. Trump said following the Oval Office argument that Zelenskyy can “come back when he is ready for peace,” adding he “determined that [Zelenskyy] is not ready for peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.”

Is The U.s. Working With Russia?

Trump National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told CNN on Sunday the State Department is speaking with both Ukraine and Russia right now “about what they need to see to end this war.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously said the administration was speaking about how it could explore closer relations with Russia, and Russia’s foreign minister suggested in late February the country is preparing for a possible meeting between Trump and Putin. When asked about what the U.S. was discussing with Russia, Waltz said Sunday the Trump administration is “having conversations” with Russia about “broadening [the U.S.’s]

embassy operations” in Russia, after the U.S. closed consulates in Russia and the Russian consulate in Seattle during the first Trump administration. The U.S. also voted against a recent United Nations resolution condemning Russia for its actions in Ukraine—joined only by Russia, Belarus and North Korea—and The Guardian reported Saturday the Trump administration is no longer characterizing Russia as a cybersecurity threat to the U.S. Waltz told CNN on Sunday that pausing any cyber operations targeting Russia has not “been part of our discussions” with Moscow, but argued, “There will be all kinds of carrots and sticks to get this war to an end.”

Key Background

Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy has derailed the president’s efforts to negotiate peace with Ukraine and Russia, after Trump previously claimed he could end the ongoing war in “24 hours.” The incident has led heads of democracies around the world to express support for Ukraine, and comes after Ukraine has relied on aid and military support from the U.S. in its war against Russia. Trump has long faced scrutiny for his relationship with Russia and Putin, with Special Counsel Robert Mueller conducting an investigation during his first term into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Moscow. Mueller’s probe “did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government” on the election, Mueller wrote in his final report, but noted, “The Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome,” while the Trump campaign “expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts.” Trump has praised Putin as a “genius” and said the Russian leader was “pretty savvy” in his invasion of Ukraine, with reports before the election suggesting Trump spoke with Putin seven times while he was out of office. Trump then had what he described as a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with Putin in February as he sought to begin negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which the Associated Press notes brought an end to a three-year effort the Biden administration led to “isolate” Putin from other Western leaders.

CORRECTION (3/2): This article has been updated to clarify when Peskov’s comments were made.

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