Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday described American President Donald Trump as “pragmatic” and “smart,” expressing doubt that the US president would lower global oil prices to harm Russia.
Putin noted that extremely high or low oil prices would negatively affect both the Russian and American economies. “He is not only a smart person, but a pragmatic person,” Putin told state media. “I have a hard time imagining there will be decisions taken that are detrimental to the American economy,” he added.
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Putin also said that the 2022 “crisis in Ukraine”—a reference to Moscow’s full-scale military offensive—might have been avoided if Trump had been US president at the time. “I cannot but agree with him that if he had been president—if his victory hadn’t been stolen in 2020—then maybe there would not have been the crisis in Ukraine that emerged in 2022,” Putin told a state TV reporter.
Putin’s remarks followed Trump’s comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, where he suggested that reducing oil prices could end the conflict in Ukraine. Trump said, “If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately.”
Earlier in the day, when asked about Trump’s comments, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the idea, saying that the conflict is unrelated to oil prices. “The conflict is ongoing because of the threat to Russia’s national security, the threat to Russians living on those territories, and the refusal by the Americans and Europeans to listen to Russia’s security concerns,” Peskov said during a conference call with reporters.
Peskov also confirmed that Putin is open to talks with Trump but is waiting for “signals” from Washington. “Putin is ready. We are waiting for signals,” Peskov said.
‘We can do it the easy way, or the hard way’: Trump to Russia on Ukraine war
Trump had previously warned of imposing additional sanctions on Russia if Putin does not agree to negotiate an end to the conflict. In a post on X, Trump wrote, “I’m not looking to harm Russia. I have great respect for the Russian people and have always maintained a good relationship with President Putin, despite the Radical Left’s ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ hoax. We must also remember that Russia played a crucial role in helping us win World War II, sacrificing nearly 60 million lives. That said, I intend to do Russia and President Putin a significant favor. End this war now—this senseless conflict is only going to worsen.”
He added, “If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”