Trump Has Soured on Putin. Putin Couldn't Care Less.
But there's a deeper reason for the dismissive response. Mr. Putin has, according to Kremlin insiders I talked to, concluded that negotiating with the United States makes no sense and that compromise is pointless. Hostility, not friendship, is the policy. The imminent visit to Moscow of America's envoy for peace missions, Steve Witkoff, won't change that. Mr. Trump may have soured on Mr. Putin, but Russia's president couldn't care less.
Six months ago, things were very different. When Mr. Trump returned to the presidency, many in Moscow hoped that a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations might be possible. Along with friendly public remarks from both presidents and negotiations in Saudi Arabia, there were other encouraging signs of détente. Russian propagandists refrained from criticizing the new American administration or Mr. Trump personally, apparently under orders from the Kremlin. (President Emmanuel Macron of France became the main target of attacks instead.)
Soon, American businessmen began showing up in Moscow, calling themselves sponsors of Mr. Trump's campaign. They claimed that sanctions would be lifted and even that the president still dreamed of building a Trump Tower in Moscow. The Russian officials and entrepreneurs I spoke to were wary, but they wanted to believe that peace was possible and that Mr. Trump might persuade Mr. Putin to end the war. It seemed as if the dream of renewed cooperation with America might come true.
It quickly became clear that this was wishful thinking. Everyone now realizes that Mr. Putin has no desire to end the war, which remains his main tool for controlling society. Worse, he has lost faith in the very idea of reaching agreements with the United States. According to the people I talked to, his view is that any American administration, by definition, is temporary — and so any deal with it is meaningless. Mr. Trump is in charge today, but in three years he might not be. Personal rapport means nothing. To Mr. Putin, it is no longer possible to build a working relationship with America.
Kremlin propagandists sense the honeymoon is coming to an end. They're still avoiding direct attacks on Mr. Trump himself, but they're going after those around him. Senator Lindsey Graham, in particular, has been singled out as a 'Russophobic' extremist, especially after he suggested that Mr. Putin should 'call the Ayatollah' to ask what would happen on Day 51 after Mr. Trump's first ultimatum. On a recent episode of the flagship political talk show on the state-owned Russia-1, the host shouted into the camera: 'What are you croaking about? You'll be destroyed along with your America, and no one will even remember your name.'
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
25 minutes ago
- The Hill
Asian shares track rally on Wall Street that won back most of Friday's wipeout
BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares advanced on Tuesday, following U.S. stocks higher after they won back most of their sharp loss from last week. Investors appeared to have recovered some confidence after worries over how President Donald Trump's tariffs may be punishing the economy sent a shudder through Wall Street last week. At the same time, a stunningly weak U.S. jobs report Friday raised expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its next meeting in September, potentially a plus for markets. This week's highlights will likely include earnings reports from The Walt Disney Co., McDonald's and Caterpillar, along with updates on U.S. business activity. In Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.6% to 40,515.81, while the Kospi in South Korea jumped 1.4% to 3,192.57. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng rose 0.3% to 24,799.67. The Shanghai Composite index was up 0.5% at 3,602.13. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.1% to 8,759.90, while the SET in Thailand also gained 1.1%. India's Sensex was the sole outlier, losing 0.5% on concerns over trade tensions with the United States, with the Trump administration insisting on cutbacks in oil purchases from Russia. India has indicated that it will continue buying oil from Russia, saying its relationship with Moscow was 'steady and time-tested,' and that its stance on securing its energy needs is guided by the availability of oil in the markets and prevailing global circumstances. 'Trump's threats of 'substantial' tariff hikes on account of imports of Russian crude pose a quagmire for India,' Mizuho Bank said in a commentary. 'Between exacerbated U.S.-imposed geo-economic headwinds and financial/macro setbacks from Russian oil advantages lost, pain will be hard to avert.' On Monday, the S&P 500 jumped 1.5% to 6,329.94. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.3%, or 585.06 points, to 44,173.64. The Nasdaq composite leaped 2% to 21,053.58. Idexx Laboratories helped Wall Street recover from its worst day since May, soaring 27.5% after the seller of veterinary instruments and other health care products reported a stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected. The pressure is on U.S. companies to deliver bigger profits after their stock prices shot to record after record recently. Reports from big U.S. companies have largely come in better than expected and could help steady a U.S. stock market that may have been due for some turbulence. A jump in stock prices from a low point in April had raised criticism that the broad market had become too expensive. Tyson Foods likewise delivered a bigger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter, and the company behind the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farms brands rose 2.4%. They helped make up for a nearly 3% loss for Berkshire Hathaway after Warren Buffett's company reported a drop in profit for its latest quarter from a year earlier. The drop-off was due in part to the falling value of its investment in Kraft Heinz. American Eagle Outfitters jumped 23.6% after Trump weighed in on the debate surrounding the retailer's advertisements, which highlight actor Sydney Sweeney's great jeans. Some critics thought the reference to the blonde-haired and blue-eyed actor's 'great genes' may be extolling a narrow set of beauty standards. 'Go get 'em Sydney!' Trump said on his social media network. Wayfair climbed 12.7% after the retailer of furniture and home decor said accelerating growth helped it make more in profit and revenue during the spring than analysts expected. Tesla rose 2.2% after awarding CEO Elon Musk 96 million shares of restricted stock valued at approximately $29 billion. The move could alleviate worries that Musk may leave the company. In other dealings early Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil shed 9 cents to $66.20 per barrel while Brent crude, the international standard, gave up 8 cents to $68.68 per barrel. The U.S. dollar was unchanged at 147.09 Japanese yen. The euro slipped to $1.1555 from $1.1573.
San Francisco Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Asian shares track rally on Wall Street that won back most of Friday's wipeout
BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares advanced on Tuesday, following U.S. stocks higher after they won back most of their sharp loss from last week. Investors appeared to have recovered some confidence after worries over how President Donald Trump's tariffs may be punishing the economy sent a shudder through Wall Street last week. At the same time, a stunningly weak U.S. jobs report Friday raised expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its next meeting in September, potentially a plus for markets. This week's highlights will likely include earnings reports from The Walt Disney Co., McDonald's and Caterpillar, along with updates on U.S. business activity. In Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.6% to 40,515.81, while the Kospi in South Korea jumped 1.4% to 3,192.57. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng rose 0.3% to 24,799.67. The Shanghai Composite index was up 0.5% at 3,602.13. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.1% to 8,759.90, while the SET in Thailand also gained 1.1%. India's Sensex was the sole outlier, losing 0.5% on concerns over trade tensions with the United States, with the Trump administration insisting on cutbacks in oil purchases from Russia. India has indicated that it will continue buying oil from Russia, saying its relationship with Moscow was 'steady and time-tested,' and that its stance on securing its energy needs is guided by the availability of oil in the markets and prevailing global circumstances. 'Trump's threats of 'substantial' tariff hikes on account of imports of Russian crude pose a quagmire for India,' Mizuho Bank said in a commentary. 'Between exacerbated U.S.-imposed geo-economic headwinds and financial/macro setbacks from Russian oil advantages lost, pain will be hard to avert.' On Monday, the S&P 500 jumped 1.5% to 6,329.94. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.3%, or 585.06 points, to 44,173.64. The Nasdaq composite leaped 2% to 21,053.58. Idexx Laboratories helped Wall Street recover from its worst day since May, soaring 27.5% after the seller of veterinary instruments and other health care products reported a stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected. The pressure is on U.S. companies to deliver bigger profits after their stock prices shot to record after record recently. Reports from big U.S. companies have largely come in better than expected and could help steady a U.S. stock market that may have been due for some turbulence. A jump in stock prices from a low point in April had raised criticism that the broad market had become too expensive. Tyson Foods likewise delivered a bigger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter, and the company behind the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farms brands rose 2.4%. They helped make up for a nearly 3% loss for Berkshire Hathaway after Warren Buffett's company reported a drop in profit for its latest quarter from a year earlier. The drop-off was due in part to the falling value of its investment in Kraft Heinz. American Eagle Outfitters jumped 23.6% after Trump weighed in on the debate surrounding the retailer's advertisements, which highlight actor Sydney Sweeney's great jeans. Some critics thought the reference to the blonde-haired and blue-eyed actor's 'great genes' may be extolling a narrow set of beauty standards. 'Go get 'em Sydney!' Trump said on his social media network. Wayfair climbed 12.7% after the retailer of furniture and home decor said accelerating growth helped it make more in profit and revenue during the spring than analysts expected. Tesla rose 2.2% after awarding CEO Elon Musk 96 million shares of restricted stock valued at approximately $29 billion. The move could alleviate worries that Musk may leave the company. In other dealings early Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil shed 9 cents to $66.20 per barrel while Brent crude, the international standard, gave up 8 cents to $68.68 per barrel. ___ AP Business Writers Stan Choe and Matt Ott contributed.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
India rupee opens weaker on rising trade tensions with US, avoids record low on likely RBI support
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Indian rupee opened weaker on Tuesday, pressured by heightened U.S.-India trade tensions following President Donald Trump's renewed tariff threats. The currency managed to avert a drop past the record low of 87.95 to the dollar, likely due to intervention by the central bank, traders said. The rupee opened at 87.85, compared to 87.6550 on Monday. At one point, the non-deliverable forward market had indicated that the rupee would weaken past 88 at open. "It was looking like a straight break of 88 at open, RBI came in and capped the move," a senior FX trader at a private bank said. Sign in to access your portfolio
