Putin threatens to continue Russian offense on Ukraine, but Donald Trump calls him ‘generous’

On Sunday, Dec. 28, President Donald Trump emerged from his meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy carrying a message that no one was waiting for. “Vladimir Putin is actually very generous and wants Ukraine to succeed.”

Trump’s statement would have landed awkwardly on any day. But it landed far worse when he delivered it standing beside Zelenskyy. The leader of the country that has been suffering for years because of Putin. Trump also couldn’t have timed the message worse.

Less than 24 hours ago, Putin publicly warned that Russia would achieve its goals in Ukraine “by force” if Kyiv didn’t accept Moscow’s terms for a ceasefire (via CNBC). After the talks on Sunday, a reporter asked Trump whether Russia would shoulder responsibility for rebuilding the country it has spent years flattening. So, the president offered an unbelievable reframing:

“Russia is going to be helping. Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed. It sounds a little strange, but I was explaining to the president that President Putin was very generous in his feelings toward Ukraine succeeding, including supplying energy, electricity, and other things at very low prices.”

With a straight face, Trump lauded Russia for offering “low prices” for the reconstruction of Ukraine. From the country that has bombed power grids, occupied territory, and threatened escalation, it isn’t even the bare minimum. But Trump conceded it “sounds a little strange,” almost as if the offer is heroic.

But just a day ago, on Saturday, Putin made clear that Russia would press on militarily if Ukraine didn’t capitulate. And the next day, Trump reframed the aggressor as a benevolent partner eager to see Ukraine “succeed.” There’s no other way to describe it other than a clear narrative laundering.

Trump cleverly avoided any criticism of Moscow’s ongoing offensive or its explicit threat to keep fighting. Instead, he called Russia “generous” for offering energy leverage. Apparently, he reserves his harshest language for allies, journalists, and domestic opponents only.

For Putin, he offered indulgent assessments even though he’s globally in the wrong. That asymmetry triggered renewed accusations that Trump cannot confront Moscow in plain terms. One user on X joked, “Anyone who is still having any doubts that Putin owns this moron is either compromised as he is or simply stupid.”

The White House keeps insisting that Trump is pursuing peace. But peace doesn’t begin by praising the tyrant who just threatened escalation of war. If Trump’s statement was meant to reassure Ukrainians dying every day, it didn’t. If anything, it was an attempt to normalize Putin’s posture as reasonable and benevolent. As one X user called it, “that’s some next-level spin.”