Fox News guest host Jacqui Heinrich pressed White House national security adviser Mike Waltz on Sunday about whether President Donald Trump is “being played” by Russian President Vladimir Putin amid ongoing negotiations over Ukraine.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment on Sunday morning.
Why It Matters
Trump has long faced concerns from his critics over how he deals with and talks about Putin. Amid the ongoing negotiations over a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia amid their ongoing war, Trump has spoken favorably of Putin while having a sometimes openly hostile relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia has long been viewed by Republicans and Democrats as an adversary of the United States whereas Ukraine is an ally. U.S. allies in Europe have also raised alarms over Trump’s stance toward Ukraine and Russia.
What to Know
Waltz appeared as a guest on Fox News Sunday, which was guest hosted by Heinrich, the network’s senior White House correspondent. Heinrich pressed Waltz regarding concerns about Trump’s apparent deference to Putin.
“A European intelligence service uncovered a document that was prepared for the Kremlin the same week the president’s team met with the Russians in Saudi Arabia,” Heinrich said, citing an article from The Washington Post. She added that the document, “details much of what we’ve already seen play out.”
She said it “basically” lays out a plan by Moscow on “how to stall while it continues to dismantle the Ukrainian state.” Reading from the Post article, Heinrich highlighted that the reported document lays out plans to increase tensions between the U.S., China and Europe by floating U.S. access to minerals in occupied parts of Ukraine.
“How do you know President Trump isn’t being played right now by President Putin?” she asked Waltz.
“That’s almost laughable,” the Trump adviser responded, chuckling. “I’ll take President Trump and dealing with the likes of [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping], of [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un, of Putin and others—certainly ahead of his predecessor.”
He added: “And really, as both President Putin and Zelensky said on our first call, just a few weeks ago, only President Trump could drive this to an end…Look, we know who we’re dealing with, we know who we’re dealing with on all sides.”
At the outset of the interview, Heinrich pointed out that the leaders of 25 countries had met this past week and “concluded” that Putin’s statements demonstrate he is “not serious” about resolving the war in Ukraine. She said, conversely, the Trump administration continues to express “optimism” about negotiations.
Screenshot/Fox News Sunday
“In fact, nobody has plainly stated that Putin rejected the U.S. ceasefire proposal,” she said. Heinrich pressed Waltz on what the answer is, asking if this is a “delay tactic” or if “we’re moving towards a ceasefire?”
Waltz responded by saying a few months ago there was “no prospect of peace” as many Ukrainians and Russians died on both sides. “We’ve gone from that to, as the NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] secretary-general said in the Oval Office to President Trump this week, ‘Mr. President, you’ve broken that logjam.'”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Trump at the White House on Thursday, praising the president.
“You broke the deadlock, as you said—all the killing, the young people dying, cities getting destroyed. The fact that you did that, that you started the dialogue with the Russians and the successful talks in Saudi Arabia, now with the Ukrainians, I really want to commend you for this,” Rutte said.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine a little over three years ago in February 2022. The U.S. and NATO allies have provided billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid to support Ukraine, but Trump has long signaled a desire to end the conflict with some kind of deal.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has been touting a deal, where the U.S. will get access to rare earth minerals in Ukraine, as a starting point leading up to a ceasefire. Trump has said this would be a way for Kyiv to repay the U.S. for the billions in support it has provided.
However, the signing of the deal has been delayed after a heated meeting between Zelensky and Trump at the White House on February 28. They intended to sign the deal that day, but after tensions flared, Zelensky left the White House empty handed. It’s unclear if and when the deal will move forward, although both sides have suggested it will.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: “If Russia agrees to a ceasefire, it must demonstrate its willingness to end the war, or it will show that it wants to continue. This is what everyone is waiting for.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday, per Russian news agency Tass: “You must have heard the important statement that President Putin made yesterday. He said in response to questions from reporters that he backed Trump’s position on the settlement. This is why, even though there is still a lot to be done, the president sided with Mr. Trump’s stance.”
President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday: “We know where we are with Ukraine, and we are getting good signals outside of Russia as to where we are with Russia, and hopefully they’ll do the right thing.”
What Happens Next?
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN on Sunday that Trump may speak to Putin directly this week.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna said Friday that the Trump administration is still deciding on the terms of signing the proposed minerals deal with Ukraine.
