New Delhi:
After US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodomyr Zelensky‘s stunning clash at the White House, support arrived for the American leader all the way from the Kremlin in Russia. Russian officials and state media reacted with satisfaction after the heated exchange ended with Zelensky abruptly leaving and cutting his visit short.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova remarked that Trump had shown “restraint” by not physically assaulting Zelensky during the exchange.
“I think Zelensky’s biggest lie of all his lies was his assertion in the White House that the Kyiv regime in 2022 was alone, without support,” Zakharova wrote on Telegram.
She further said, “How Trump and Vance held back from hitting that scumbag is a miracle of restraint,” adding that Zelensky was “biting the hand that feeds him.”
Zakharova also termed Zelensky as “unpleasant with everyone.”
The strongest remark came from Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council and a former Russian president. Medvedev did not hold back in his reaction, calling Zelensky an “insolent pig” who had received “a proper slap down in the Oval Office.”
“For the first time, Trump told the cocaine clown the truth to his face: the Kyiv regime is playing with the third world war. And the ungrateful pig received a strong slap on the wrist from the owners of the pigsty. This is useful. But it’s not enough – we must stop military aid to the Nazi machine,” Medvedev said.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, described the fiery exchange as “historic.” Dmitriev, who was one of Moscow’s negotiators in Russian-American talks held on February 18 in Saudi Arabia, termed the confrontation as a sign of shifting US policy.
Yevgeny Primakov, head of Russia’s Agency for International Humanitarian Cooperation, accused Zelensky of seeking to incite violence in the wake of the confrontation.
“Everyone saw everything. I would just draw attention to what is in the nature of the Kyiv regime: provocations, bloody provocations,” Primakov wrote on Telegram.
He claimed that Kyiv might orchestrate events leading to “mass deaths of peaceful civilians” to gain sympathy and blame Russia.
“To spill a lot of innocent blood at once and then blame it on Russia is one of the easiest ways to save face,” he suggested.
Russian state media also celebrated the event, with RT posting on X (formerly Twitter): “Zelensky sits with hands between legs as US President and VP hammer him.”
While many European leaders rushed to express support for Zelensky, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a long-time Putin ally, sided with Trump.
Orban praised the US president for his approach, writing on X: “Strong men make peace, weak men make war.” He further remarked that Trump had “bravely stood for peace, even if it was difficult for many to digest.”
The Oval Office clash came amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Trump’s efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
During the meeting, Trump accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and cautioned, “You have no right to dictate what we should feel. You are gambling with World War III.”
Trump further warned Zelensky: “I have empowered you to be a tough guy. You either make a deal, or we’re out. You don’t have the cards.”
US Vice President JD. Vance also scolded the Ukrainian leader, telling him that he had never expressed gratitude for the extensive support the US had provided to Kyiv.
The tense exchange, which was witnessed by reporters, led to the abrupt cancellation of a scheduled news conference. Trump later posted on Truth Social, condemning Zelensky for being “disrespectful” and unwilling to negotiate peace.
Before the Trump-Zelensky meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed Russia’s desire to engage in dialogue with the U.S. but emphasized the need for mutual respect.
“We want to build dialogue not only with the U.S. but with all countries from a position of mutual respect and mutual benefit,” Peskov told Russian media.
He dismissed the idea that diplomatic engagement should be conducted only from a perspective of strength, as some critics have suggested regarding Trump’s approach to foreign policy.