Kateryna Hirnyk10:49, 03.04.25

The senator noted that Trump is “feigning” outrage over Russia.

US President Donald Trump is simply “feigning outrage” towards Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who in turn views Trump as “a child who is easily manipulated,” Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, one of the US president’s fiercest critics, said in an interview with Foreign Policy .

According to Schiff, Trump’s approach to reaching a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia “began with an absolute betrayal of Ukraine,” while mentioning Trump’s “horrible treatment” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the suspension of military aid to Ukraine.

“The President (Trump) is now feigning outrage at Russia. He is not trustworthy,” Schiff said, adding that threats of tariffs against Russia – given the inconsistent application of the tariffs and their ongoing nature – are frivolous.

“Putin has Trump’s number. Even if Trump wants to punish Russia at some point, Putin just needs to say a few nice things about Trump and he can force Trump to back down,” he emphasized.

He questioned Trump’s willingness or ability to confront Putin because Trump “admires him too much”:

“Putin views Trump as a child who is easy to control and manipulate, and unfortunately, he is correct in this analysis.”

He also noted that the Trump administration “has taken absolutely the wrong approach if we want a responsible end to the war” and has significantly increased the likelihood that Russia will be able to succeed in its goals.

“The path to achieving a meaningful peace that deters further Russian aggression lies not through attacking Ukraine and withdrawing military, diplomatic, and intelligence support, but through providing stronger support and making Russia understand that it is fighting a losing battle that will become increasingly burdensome for it the longer it continues,” the senator believes.

Trump and Putin’s relationship

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal wrote that Ukraine and Russia have similar tactics towards Trump . Ukraine can only hope that over time the Trump administration will understand the frivolity of Russia’s attitude towards the world and lose patience with Putin.

At the same time, former British Army officer Tim Collins noted that Trump is determined to end the war in Ukraine quickly. His disappointment could become a serious problem for Putin, who should take this into account.

The US president has previously expressed his disappointment with the pace of ceasefire talks, saying he was “angry” with Putin , and raised the possibility of imposing sanctions against those who buy Russian oil.

(C)UNIAN 2025