It's not every day that Russian President Vladimir Putin sounds like the man in the room defending US President Donald Trump's "sincerity". However, in the extensive and insightful interview with the India Today Group, the Russian president on Thursday, did exactly that. He praised Trump's "genuine intentions" while lashing out at the West, American tariffs, the West's narratives, and the bloc's handling of the Ukraine war.
advertisement
The interview captured the strange geometry of geopolitics of 2025. The Kremlin is at war with the Western system on one side, but surprisingly gentle, and even indulgent, towards Trump, whom Putin once sparred with. Now Putin, after repeatedly tossing out one US peace plan after another, even after meeting Trump on American soil, is demanding more concessions, all while trying to look like the man chasing peace in earnest.
And that brings us to the question, whether Putin is making peace with Trump? Based on the interview and interactions between the two men and their diplomatic teams, the answer is
Continue Reading on India Today
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.