Russian State TV Praises Kremlin for Protecting Trump's Reputation

A Russian politician has said the Kremlin's initial refusal to confirm or deny contacts between Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump had helped the latter.

Duma deputy Oleg Morozov told the Russia 1 channel that Moscow was being "very careful to support Trump" by remaining ambiguous on whether contact had been made between the two.

Why It Matters

Kremlin propagandists have welcomed the revelations that Trump and Putin had spoken and that procedures were in motion for the leaders to hold talks about the war in Ukraine. Following weeks of expressing doubt over what the new presidency might mean for Moscow, the tone from Russian state television is that Trump will be beneficial to the Kremlin.

What to Know

A segment posted on social media by Russia watcher and journalist Julia Davis showed the co-hosts of the program 60 Minutes in a jovial mood.

Anchor Yevgeny Popov described "a historic shift" in Russian-American relations as he outlined the reported 90-minute phone call between Trump and Putin.

Citing the Kremlin, Popov relished how reports of the conversation between the leaders about the need for the war in Ukraine started by Putin to stop did not include what role Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would play.

Popov also pointed out the U.S. had cast doubt on Ukraine's NATO membership or on Kyiv getting territory back.

For days, the Kremlin did not confirm or deny whether Putin and spoken to Trump on the phone as the U.S. president had said on Sunday.

This followed weeks of speculation over whether the leaders were in contact before or after the U.S. president's inauguration.

But Russian politician Oleg Morozov said that the Kremlin's reticence to confirm or deny contact between the leaders was a move to protect Trump's reputation from criticism and not to contradict him publicly.

More broadly, Morozov also described his satisfaction at this week's developments, telling the program, "the great and interesting about politics your wildest hopes in anticipation of important events can be far surpassed by reality."

Valerie Sperling, an expert on Russian politics from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, said that the way the Russian media has covered the phone call suggests that the Kremlin has got what it wanted as a "decider" in the fate of Ukraine, rather than an aggressor.

Sperling told Newsweek that Trump reportedly seemed to endorse the resolution of Russia's war against Ukraine on Putin's terms.

What People Are Saying

Russian MP Oleg Morozov said: "We did all we could to protect his reputation. Instead of saying 'there were no contacts' we were very careful to support Trump in his public pursuit of a dialogue with Russia."

Valerie Sperling, politics professor at Clark University, told Newsweek: "Trump reportedly seemed to endorse the resolution of Russia's war against Ukraine on Putin's terms. This must be something that Putin's supporters would appreciate."

What Happens Next

Trump may have agreed to start talks with Putin but Zelensky said on Saturday that no decisions on ending the war can be made without Kyiv and Europe. Diplomatic wrangling over the dates and locations will likely continue.