President Putin Signals Peace to Donald Trump at Valdai

According to Gil Doctorow — who I consider a friend — Moscow elites are very unhappy with Vladimir Putin for not acting more decisively to bring the war in Ukraine to a quick conclusion. If Putin is feeling any heat from those folks, he certainly did not convey that during his plenary address and the subsequent Q&A session at the 22nd Valdai International Discussion Club meeting in Sochi today, October 2, 2025. I paid particular attention to what President Putin had to say about Donald Trump and his recent belligerent comments.

President Putin made several references to US President Donald Trump, reflecting on his policies, rhetoric, and potential impact on US-Russia relations and global conflicts. These remarks were woven into broader discussions about multipolarity, the Ukraine conflict, and Western leadership. Here is a detailed summary of what Putin said about Trump, based on the full speech text and Q&A coverage from sources like TASS, RT, and Kremlin transcripts:

1. Support for Trump’s Middle East Initiatives:

   • Putin expressed approval of Trump’s efforts to address the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, specifically referencing the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict announced on September 29, 2025. He stated, “We support the initiatives of President Trump in the Middle East, particularly his efforts to bring peace to the region.” He described the Gaza war as a tragedy and framed Trump’s plan as a constructive step toward de-escalation, aligning with Russia’s broader call for balanced international solutions. He could have characterized Trump’s plan as a cynical charade but, as is Putin’s style, he took the high road.

2. Ukraine Conflict and Trump’s Potential Role:

   • In the context of the Ukraine war, Putin made another diplomatic gesture towards Trump when he said that the conflict might have been avoided had Trump been in power earlier, stating, If Donald Trump had been president, or if NATO had not pushed toward Russia’s borders, this tragedy could have been prevented. He implied that Trump’s approach to foreign policy, perceived as less interventionist, might have de-escalated tensions with Russia compared to prior US administrations.

   • During the Q&A, Putin was asked about Trump’s recent statements calling NATO a paper tiger and questioning its strength. Putin responded with humor, saying, If Trump calls NATO a paper tiger, and Russia is one too, then who’s the bigger tiger? Let’s not play these games. He used this to dismiss Western narratives of Russian aggression against NATO as nonsense, while indirectly acknowledging Trump’s skepticism of NATO’s efficacy.

3. US-Russia Relations Under Trump:

   • Putin expressed openness to restoring full bilateral ties with the US under Trump’s leadership, but emphasized that any cooperation would be guided by Russia’s national interests. He said, We are ready to work with the United States, with President Trump, but it must be on equal terms, respecting our sovereignty and interests. This reflects his broader stance that US-Russia relations deteriorated due to Western policies, not Russian actions.

   • He noted past failures in US-Russia engagement, referencing Russia’s rejected bids to join NATO, but avoided directly criticizing Trump for current US policies, instead framing him as a potential partner for pragmatic dialogue.

4. Charlie Kirk’s Murder and US Societal Rifts:

   • In a condolence remark, Putin briefly mentioned the assassination of Charlie Kirk, saying, We extend our sympathies for the murder of your public figure, Charlie Kirk. Such acts reflect deep divisions in American society, which we hope can be addressed. While not directly addressing Trump, this was interpreted as a nod to domestic challenges under Trump’s presidency, possibly implying a shared interest in stabilizing internal unrest.

Instead of excoriating Trump over recent press reports that the US would provide Ukraine with intelligence for long-range missile strikes deep inside Russia, Putin focused on the positive. While Putin reserved comment on the matter, retired Russian Army Colonel Viktor Litovkin offered his analysis of what Russia might do. Litovkin said:

Like Starlink once did for the battlefield and front lines, this now extends deeper into Russian territory,” according to . The coordinates refer to the location of specific objects within Russian territory and the distance to them.

This isn’t the first time the US has threatened Russia with deep strikes: In November 2024, then-President Joe Biden gave the green light for Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the US to attack deep inside Russia. Russia has all necessary means to intercept and counter such attacks.

Russia could “destroy the systems intended to strike its territory—destroying aircraft on airfields, rail lines, and wagon re-loading stations where cars are switched from the European gauge to the Russian/Soviet gauge, and so on.

It could also “destroy Ukraine’s command centers, including those in Kiev: Government buildings, the Defense Ministry, Main Intelligence Directorate, Main Security Directorate, etc.

I did a repeat performance with Danny Haiphong and Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson today, as well as my regular Thursday appearance with Garland Nixon: