Putin’s ‘methodical’ Trump influence tactic revealed

President Donald Trump’s recent phone calls with Vladimir Putin often stretch for hours, with the Russian president using the time to deliver lengthy one-sided conversations, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

Calls between Trump and Putin

According to the WSJ, the two have held “multiple calls and passed numerous messages through intermediaries” in recent weeks as part of an effort to end the war in Ukraine. Sources familiar with their talks say the tone is “typically friendly,” with Trump often mentioning the possibility of better U.S.-Russia relations. Meanwhile, Putin uses the time to press his long-standing complaints, particularly the West’s refusal to acknowledge Russia’s claims over Crimea and the Donbas.

Putin’s strategy

Putin’s monolouges, described as “lengthy,” are made longer by the need for translation, often testing Trump’s patience, aides say. “Putin does this very methodically,” said former National Security Adviser John Bolton. “He’s very knowledgeable, he knows what he’s talking about. When he wants to try and influence somebody, he just talks and talks and talks.”

Ukraine war

Earlier this year, Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office for what he saw as a lack of gratitude. “You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards,” he said at the time. However, more recently, Trump has voiced growing frustration with Putin.

Frustration with Putin

“I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘And I spoke with Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ She said, ‘Oh, really? Another city was just hit,’” Trump recently recalled. With the war dragging on, Trump has begun threatening countries that buy Russian oil, like India and China, with higher tariffs, in an attempt to pressure Putin back to the negotiating table.

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