Zelenskyy-Trump Press Conference Shakes Kremlin: Here’s What Russian Politicians Said

Following a heated exchange between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, Russian officials and state media responded with apparent satisfaction.

The confrontation, which resulted in Zelenskyy cutting his visit short, was widely covered by Russian government representatives and media outlets, according to NDTV.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, commented that Trump demonstrated “restraint” by not physically confronting Zelenskyy during their discussion. In a statement on Telegram, Zakharova criticized the Ukrainian leader, referring to his assertion that Kyiv had faced Russia alone in 2022 as “his biggest lie.” She further remarked that it was “a miracle of restraint” that Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance did not react more strongly to Zelenskyy’s stance, adding that the Ukrainian leader was “unpleasant with everyone.”

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, also reacted, referring to Zelenskyy as “an insolent figure” who had received “a proper reprimand” during the meeting. Medvedev suggested that Trump had confronted Zelenskyy with the reality of the ongoing war, warning that the situation could escalate further. He reiterated Russia’s longstanding narrative that military assistance to Ukraine should be halted.

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and a key figure in recent U.S.-Russia negotiations in Saudi Arabia, described the exchange as “historic.” He framed it as an indication of shifting U.S. policy toward Ukraine, suggesting that Washington’s support might be waning.

Yevgeny Primakov, head of Russia’s Agency for International Humanitarian Cooperation, accused Zelenskyy of attempting to provoke further war following the White House meeting. In his Telegram post, he claimed that Kyiv might orchestrate events leading to civilian casualties in an effort to gain international sympathy and shift blame onto Russia.

Russian state media widely covered the incident, with RT highlighting the tense atmosphere during the meeting. The outlet posted an image of Zelenskyy appearing visibly uncomfortable, captioning it as evidence of the difficult conversation with the U.S. administration.

The meeting, initially planned to solidify a framework agreement on mineral resources between the two nations, took a confrontational turn as Trump urged Zelenskyy to negotiate with Russia and warned of potential consequences for continued U.S. support.

Trump told Zelenskyy, “You’re gambling with World War Three. Be thankful.” Zelenskyy, in response, emphasized that the war was between Ukraine and Russia, not the United States. He argued that Kyiv and Moscow should engage in direct talks, with the U.S. as a supporting partner rather than a primary negotiator.

Before the meeting, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia remained open to dialogue with the U.S. but insisted that any discussions should be based on “mutual respect and benefit.” Peskov dismissed the notion that diplomacy should be conducted solely from a position of strength, responding to criticism of Trump’s foreign policy approach.