Kremlin stays silent as world leaders react to White House drama
The dramatic events at the White House received reactions from many world leaders. The BBC notes, however, that there was no such response from Vladimir Putin, whereas other Russian politicians were much less restrained.
The events on Friday at the White House caught the attention of numerous world leaders. The BBC points out that one of the few leaders who chose not to address this was Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin doesn't need to rush to react because the President of Russia can afford to watch the situation unfold. Donald Trump predicted that a public argument with President Zelensky would "make great television."
The BBC has no doubt that Vladimir Putin took some pleasure in the "spectacle" of the public humiliation of Volodymyr Zelensky by the U.S. president and vice president in front of the entire world. Although Putin did not comment on it directly, Russian officials did.
Former President Dmitry Medvedev, currently the deputy chairman of Russia's security council, wrote on social media that President Zelensky "got a proper slap down in the Oval Office" and called on the U.S. to halt military aid to Ukraine. Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, praised Trump and JD Vance for the "miracle of restraint" in not striking the president of Ukraine.
New US-Russia relations
As the BBC highlights, while US-Ukraine relations are under threat, US-Russia relations may be improving. In recent weeks, Trump and Putin have spoken by phone, promising close cooperation. There have been discussions of a possible summit, and lower-level US-Russia talks about resetting relations and potential economic cooperation have already begun. Putin has proposed joint projects with the Americans on rare earth minerals and aluminum production.
The breakdown of US-Ukraine relations could have serious consequences for Kyiv but potentially positive ones for Moscow. If the flow of American weapons to Ukraine is stopped, it will be more challenging for Ukrainians to defend themselves against Russian forces, despite solidarity and support from European leaders. Moscow has long considered that the war in Ukraine is going in its favour, and the argument at the White House only confirmed this belief for them.
