Zelensky has figured out why Trump loves Putin

The Ukrainian president shares a compelling explanation after Washington abandons Kyiv — again. Opinion Max Boot moto: "Democracy Dies in Darkness" Max Boot is a Washington Post columnist and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. October 19, 2026 at 7:15 a.m. EDT Donald Trump’s second-term relationship with Volodymyr Zelensky got off to a disastrous start. On Feb. 19, 2025, the U.S. president blasted the courageous Ukrainian leader as a “modestly successful comedian” and a “Dictator without Elections” who “has done a terrible job.” Nine days later, Trump berated Zelensky in the Oval Office for not ending the war that Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin had started. “You don’t have the cards,” Trump told him before temporarily suspending U.S. military aid to Ukraine. European leaders rushed to repair the breach. Zelensky signed a deal giving the United States a stake in Ukraine’s mineral rights and agreed to an immediate ceasefire if Russia reciprocated. Those efforts seemed to bear fruit. At the July NATO summit in Turkey, Trump said Zelensky had “done an amazing job” and had been “very effective.” As recently as Sept. 22, they had friendly meeting in New York, with Trump saying he had approved Ukraine’s request to manufacture its own Patriot missiles. This month, however, everything went haywire — again. On Oct. 9, Trump had a phone call with Putin, after which he announced the U.S. would buy roughly 36 million barrels of Russian diesel. That will have little effect on soaring prices, but it will pour hundreds of millions of dollars into Russia’s economy. So much for the recently passed Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which authorizes the president to toughen sanctions on Russia and to impose tariffs on countries that import its oil and gas. On Friday, Trump announced he was waiving the law’s provisions on Moscow, thereby flouting the will of a large, bipartisan congressional majority. Not for the first time, it seems the wily Putin has manipulated a credulous Trump. The U.S. president is now blaming Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for the soaring oil prices that are exacerbating his political woes. Never mind that his war in Iran is the actual culprit. If Republicans lose the midterms, Trump has a ready-made scapegoat. Zelensky reacted with understandable anger to the U.S. decision to subsidize the Russian war machine, which is slaughtering Ukrainian civilians every day. (Note that Trump condemns Houthi attacks on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but not Russian attacks on Kyiv.) “It is certainly not how partners should act,” Zelensky told reporters. “And, in my view, it is a weak decision ... made by strong partners.” Trump replied by suggesting it’s “time for Ukraine to get a new president.” When asked if Russia needs one, too, he changed the subject. Trump on Thursday told Newsmax that Zelensky is “not a good guy for us to deal with” and “more difficult” than Putin. He vastly exaggerated the amount of aid the U.S. has given to Ukraine. It is roughly $195 billion, not $350 billion, and much of the money has gone to U.S. defense contractors. Trump also claimed that the U.S. had provided “massive amounts” of Tomahawks to Ukraine, depleting the military’s arsenal. The Pentagon has provided no such cruise missiles. Ukrainian officials told reporters that U.S. officials were threatening to cut off intelligence sharing and weapons sales if they didn’t stop hitting Russian oil refineries. The speed of Starlink and Starshield, Elon Musk’s satellite WiFi services, was degraded last week, making it difficult for Ukrainian forces to stop Russian terror attacks on schools, hospitals and apartment buildings. It’s still not clear exactly what happened, but the Telegraph reported that Musk proposed the move to Trump, who agreed. Zelensky said Sunday that intelligence sharing had resumed but that internet restrictions were still in effect. The Ukrainian president did agree to suspend attacks on Russian oil facilities for a few days after Trump claimed there would be a moratorium on such strikes from both sides. But Putin continued to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure in a bid to turn off the lights and heat over the winter, so Ukraine resumed its own strikes. Zelensky said his country would stop only if allies provide more air defense missiles. What explains Trump’s bizarre affinity for Putin? The Russian warmonger is standing in the way of his goal of winning a Nobel Peace Prize. Shouldn’t Trump be mad at him? I have long since given up believing in conspiratorial explanations of the relationship. If evidence for some nefarious tie existed, it would’ve been uncovered by now, especially after four years of Democratic control of the executive branch. Zelensky had a more compelling theory when he told the Financial Times last week that Trump simply has a fondness for autocrats and the uber-wealthy: “He speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people.” It hadn’t occurred to me that Trump views Putin as a fellow billionaire, but it’s true. Putin’s net worth has been estimated at $70 billion to $200 billion. Trump, who made more than $2 billion last year, no doubt respects anyone who manages to make so much money in office and to cling to power for so long. He seldom has a cross word for any dictator, while regularly berating democratic allies. Whatever the explanation, Trump’s willingness to do the bidding of a murderous despot is despicable and dangerous. Luckily, Ukraine has become less dependent on U.S. support thanks in part to Europe’s stepping forward to fill the vacuum. That means Trump has less leverage to force Zelensky into a bad deal with Russia. You might say Trump doesn’t hold the cards anymore. Yet by cutting off Starlink service and intelligence sharing, he can ensure that many more Ukrainians will die in their fight against Russian aggression. Instead of ending the war, Trump is prolonging it What readers are saying: The conversation explores strong criticism of former President Trump's actions and relationships, particularly concerning Russia and Ukraine. Many participants express the belief that Trump has been compromised by Russian interests, with some suggesting he acts as a Russian asset or agent. There is a recurring theme of Trump being influenced or controlled by Putin, with accusations of treason and betrayal of American values. Commenters also criticize the Republican Party and Congress for their perceived inaction or complicity in Trump's actions. Additionally, there are mentions of Trump's admiration for authoritarian figures and his prioritization of personal gain over national interests. The discussion reflects deep concern over the implications of Trump's foreign policy decisions and their impact on international relations and American democracy. Comments 606 This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.