Vladimir Putin has revealed an unexpected aspect of his relationship with Donald Trump following their meeting in Alaska last month.
The two leaders had a face-to-face discussion regarding the possibility of ending the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Although a resolution was not reached, Trump expressed optimism, stating that “we have a very good chance of getting there.”
Subsequently, the former U.S. president engaged with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, aiming to establish a ceasefire and enduring peace in Ukraine.
Trump had previously warned that Putin would encounter a “rough situation” if he failed to participate in the peace process and suggested that Zelenskyy might need to “show some flexibility.”
“I hope President Putin is going to be good and if he’s not, that’s going to be a rough situation,” Trump remarked to Fox News. “And I hope that Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy, will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility.”
Though the conflict has not yet concluded, Trump appears to maintain regular communication with the Russian leader, as confirmed by reports in Russian media.
The news agency Tass has reported that Putin and Trump have an arrangement to have telephone conversations as needed.
“President [of the United States Donald] Trump and I have an open dialogue, there is an agreement that, if necessary, we can call, contact, and talk to each other. He knows that I’m open to these conversations. And so is he, I know that,” Putin stated on Friday (September 5).
Concerns are growing about the potential for a future World War III. A YouGov survey conducted in several European countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, indicates that 41 percent to 55 percent of respondents believe such a conflict might occur within the next five to ten years.
In the United States, 45 percent of people share this concern.
Hospitals in France have reportedly been advised to prepare for a potential “major military deployment” by March 2026. Meanwhile, Germany has been placed on alert concerning military exercises earlier this week.
Despite these developments, Putin dismissed such concerns while speaking alongside Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico earlier this week.
The Russian leader described fears of Moscow planning deeper strikes into Europe and targeting NATO as “absolute nonsense,” criticizing the EU’s response as “hysteria” based on “horror stories.”
“As for ‘Russia’s aggressive plans with respect to Europe’, I want to emphasize once again that this is complete nonsense, which has absolutely no basis,” he said.
“Any sensible person realizes that Russia has never had, does not have, and will not have the desire to attack anyone.”