From bromance to breaking point — a tale of shifting tones, strategic distance, and the unravelling of one of the most curious modern political relationships.
By 3Narratives News | July 9, 2025
Narrative One: From Admiration to Alliance
“He’s very smart. I think I’d get along very well with Vladimir Putin.”
— Donald J. Trump, September 2015
It began, as many things do with Trump, as performance. In 2015, on debate stages and at rallies, candidate Donald Trump made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He called him a “strong leader,” compared him favorably to then-President Obama, and even speculated that they had shared airtime on 60 Minutes — “though we weren’t exactly in the same room,” he clarified.
By 2016, amid Russian election interference reports, his warm overtures didn’t cool. “Putin has been a leader, far more than our president has been,” he told MSNBC. “If he says great things about me, I’m going to say great things about him.”
Even after winning the presidency, Trump didn’t hesitate to praise his counterpart. During the 2018 Helsinki Summit, in one of the most criticized moments of his presidency, he stood beside Putin and said: “President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.” The remark was widely seen as contradicting U.S. intelligence findings and set off a firestorm at home.
Critics accused Trump of being soft on Russia, with some even suggesting he was compromised. Former CIA Director John Brennan called his performance in Helsinki “nothing short of treasonous.”
Yet Trump maintained that the relationship was misunderstood. “I got along great with Putin — that’s a good thing, not a bad thing,” he often said. He framed it as pragmatic diplomacy: “Wouldn’t you rather have a good relationship with Russia than a bad one?”
At the height of this diplomatic dance, Trump spoke frequently of Russia in transactional terms. “If Russia can help us fight ISIS, which is a major fight, I’m all for that,” he said in 2017. His White House often emphasized that mutual respect didn’t mean blind allegiance, though critics remained unconvinced.
Narrative Two: Detachment, Disillusionment, and a Blunt Turn
“I had a very bad call with Putin. He doesn’t want peace.”
— Donald J. Trump, July 3, 2025
Fast forward to this summer. The Trump–Putin rapport appears to be deteriorating by the week. What was once mutual flattery is now public disappointment.
“Putin doesn’t want to end the war,” Trump told aides after a call last week meant to lay groundwork for a ceasefire in Ukraine. “We get a lot of bullshit. Very nice all the time, but turns out to be meaningless.”
That tone is a far cry from the Trump of 2023, who privately told donors that he had warned Putin not to invade Ukraine or he’d “bomb the shit out of Moscow.” It was tough talk — bluster to some, credible deterrence to others — but still couched in a world where negotiation remained an option.
Now, according to White House insiders, Trump’s patience has run thin. Aides say he’s no longer entertaining the idea that Putin might come to the table willingly.
“We’ve given him every out. Every diplomatic avenue. But he’s gone absolutely crazy,” Trump reportedly said during a July 8 Cabinet briefing. He has since re-authorized weapons packages to Kyiv and signalled renewed sanctions against Russian oligarchs.
The Kremlin, in turn, is watching closely. “We pay attention to every word spoken by Mr. Trump,” Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, said in a statement last week. “But Russia will not yield to election-year provocations.”
The Third Narrative: Evolution or Expediency?
What’s changed?
To Trump’s critics, this is a man cornered by geopolitical reality, retreating from earlier idealism with the same bluster that once inflated it. “He was duped by a dictator and now wants to look tough again,” said former ambassador William Taylor.
To his supporters, however, this is strategic maturity. They say Trump’s evolving tone proves he does think critically, adapting to changing conditions rather than locking himself into ideology.
“He tried diplomacy. He gave peace a chance. When Putin didn’t play ball, Trump responded — fast and hard,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a close Trump ally.
Trump’s arc with Putin is a study in contrasts: admiration to frustration, warmth to warning shots, reverence to raw rebuke.
He once claimed they “respected each other.” Now, his most recent quote rings with disillusionment: “He’s killing a lot of people. I’m not happy with him at all.”
Where This Goes
The future of the Trump–Putin relationship will likely pivot on Ukraine. If Putin signals real compromise, the diplomatic door may reopen. If not, the souring may deepen — and so may the rhetoric.
In this latest chapter, Trump is no longer the candidate charmed by strength. He’s the president, disillusioned by it.
And that — like him or loathe him — is a very different kind of Trump.
