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A top Kremlin official praised President Donald Trump as an effective leader seeking peace in Ukraine, saying Moscow views renewed talks with Washington as productive.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a former president, said Trump is genuinely trying to end the war in Ukraine and wants to be remembered as a peacemaker.
“Trump wants to go down in history as a peacemaker — and he is really trying,” Medvedev said in an interview with Reuters. “And that is why contacts with Americans have become much more productive.”
Trump has repeatedly said a peace deal to end the war is close. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday that he had “productive and constructive meetings” with Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
WITKOFF SAYS TALKS WITH RUSSIAN ENVOY WERE ‘PRODUCTIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE’ AMID TRUMP ADMIN’S PEACE PUSH
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev attends an interview with Reuters, TASS and WarGonzo in the Moscow region, Russia, on Jan. 29, 2026. (Dmitry Medvedev’s Secretariat/Handout via Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Sunday that a new round of talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia will take place this week in Abu Dhabi. His announcement comes as Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy and logistics infrastructure, worsening conditions for civilians as winter temperatures plunge.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Kyiv on Feb. 10, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (TETIANA DZHAFAROVA/AFP via Getty Images)
Medvedev dismissed speculation that Trump is secretly aligned with Moscow, telling the outlet that Americans elected him and Russia respects that choice. He also praised Trump for standing up to the U.S. political establishment and said his blunt, sometimes “brash” style is misunderstood.
ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH US, RUSSIA AS UKRAINE AIMS FOR ‘REAL AND DIGNIFIED END TO THE WAR’
“He is an emotional person, but on the other hand, the chaos that is commonly referred to, which is created by his activities, is not entirely true,” Medvedev said. “It is obvious that behind this lies a completely conscious and competent line.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President Donald Trump pose for a picture during their meeting at the 56th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Medvedev told the outlet that Trump’s background as a businessman shapes his approach, joking that there is no such thing as a former businessman, an echo of a well-known Russian saying about former KGB agents.
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Medvedev, a hardliner within Russia’s leadership, has frequently warned of nuclear escalation since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. He has stressed that avoiding further conflict remains the priority, but still expects Russia to achieve military victory in Ukraine.
“I would like this to happen as soon as possible,” Medvedev said of ending the conflict. “But it is equally important to think about what will happen next. The goal of victory is to prevent new conflicts.”