NOT SO BUDDY-BUDDY?

Trump Says Putin Is ‘Somewhat Weakened’ by Prigozhin’s Mutiny Attempt

“You could say that he’s still there, he’s still strong, but he certainly has been I would say somewhat weakened,” Trump said.

Donald Trump, known for rubbing elbows with Russian President Vladimir Putin, admitted in an interview with Reuters that the Kremlin boss is losing the grip on his power after Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny attempt. “You could say that he’s still there, he’s still strong, but he certainly has been I would say somewhat weakened at least in the minds of a lot of people,” the ex-president said. But he doesn’t seem to be sure whether the erosion of Putin’s brawn is a good thing. “You don't know what the alternative is. It could be better, but it could be far worse,” he added. On Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump expressed he wants “people to stop dying over this ridiculous war”—however, he thinks Kyiv might have to concede some of its land. “They would be entitled to keep much of what they’ve earned and I think that Russia likewise would agree to that. You need the right mediator, or negotiator, and we don’t have that right now,” Trump said, appearing to criticize the current U.S. administration. “The biggest thing that the U.S. should be doing right now is making peace—getting Russia and Ukraine together and making peace. You can do it.”