Trump’s Putin strategy has been a Rorschach test for as long as he has been in the political arena.
Some people see a man who is enamored with a powerful wanna-be Czar, and who, in consequence, collaborates with him at worst or, at best, gives him latitude which he would deny others not to mention the fact that tying Trump to Putin has been a key political strategy since 2015, smearing Trump as Putin’s lackey.
Others, like me, see a strategy to use flattery and express respect as a tool to create space for a dictator to work with us on areas of mutual interest and give room for him to give ground on issues without losing face.
As Trump has been trying to bring the Ukraine war to a close, he has, until very recently, soft-pedaled disagreements with Moscow and played hardball with Ukraine. But in the last few days, his tone has changed, taking aim at Putin in a way that he has refrained to until now.
HOLY SH*T
President Trump just went off on Putin.
— Ian Jaeger (@IanJaeger29) May 25, 2025
Trump’s tarmac statement was not a one-off. The White House is escalating its campaign of pressure on Putin, and it is fascinating to see how people on the left are responding.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!” –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/2YjbtyYiwK
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 27, 2025
Tweeting out what is clearly a warning to Russia–to Putin in particular–from the official White House X feed is a big deal, and one you would think would be embraced by people who want to up the pressure on Putin and see a reversal of policy on Trump’s part.
But it’s not. They see his statement as an admission that he has been Putin’s puppet all along.
There it is. Trump confirms what we’ve said all along – he’s been protecting Putin this entire time. pic.twitter.com/vpxfibHlta
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) May 27, 2025
You can find variations on that theme everywhere. And that is a classic example of liberals seeing something entirely different than the rest of us in the ink blot.
In what possible world would Donald Trump announce on social media that he was Putin’s lackey? I suppose you might think it was a Kinsley Gaffe–accidentally blurting out a truth. But really? From the White House X feed and on Truth Social? It was clearly a signal to Putin that unless he comes to the table and quits attacking Kiev he will face consequences.
Trump finally admits it’s him alone protecting Putin. pic.twitter.com/YgCIsjYfo0
— Pekka Kallioniemi (@P_Kallioniemi) May 27, 2025
Most people will see the statement as an implied threat–I have been holding back your enemies to give you room to negotiate, but my patience is wearing thin. Trump haters are pointing and saying, “See! He admits he is a Russian agent!”
Remember: Trump froze Ukraine’s aid, sabotaged NATO, called Putin a genius, and got impeached for extorting Zelenskyy mid-conflict. Putin didn’t change. Trump just stopped being useful. pic.twitter.com/YfHMvfZyTM
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) May 26, 2025
Of course, many of the people seizing this statement are not speaking in good faith, but many others truly do believe Trump loves Putin. And, I think, that is a consequence of not understanding Trump’s strategies.
Trump pursues negotiation strategies that seem counterintuitive to many of us. He acts harshly towards allies, and cozies up to adversarial dictators, unless they present military threats. Putin falls into the category of adversary but not a threat to the United States or its core interests (in Trump’s view), so he flatters Putin to soften him up. He wants to cut a deal.
The same was true of Kim Jong Un in North Korea. You’d have be stupid to believe that Trump admires Kim, but he flattered him to reduce tensions in a volatile part of the world. And, of course, with Iran he sees an enemy, so threats are his M.O.
The strategy seems strange to many–be harsher in words to your friends and softer on your adversaries (but not enemies), but there is a logic to it. Rhetorically that is how Trump seems to work.
Trump’s shift in tactics with Putin is, I think, driven by a recognition that Putin has misread Trump’s willingness to change strategies. Trump may be signaling to Putin that he is moving out of the “adversary” category closer to the “enemy” category, without quite going there.
“We can be friends, or we can be enemies. Friends is better for both of us” is, I think, the message.
What’s it’s not, though, is an admission that Trump is a Putin lackey. That’s just stupid.
