Russian State Media Pundits Celebrate 'Opportunity' To Attack Ukraine Under New Trump Policy

In Moscow's studios, the mood over Ukraine is turning from defiance to something closer to satisfaction. As Russian forces press fresh attacks and peace talks inch forward in Abu Dhabi, Kremlin-friendly pundits on state television are openly hailing what they see as a green light from Washington – and boasting that 'as of this week, Trump is ours again'.

Their comments, broadcast to millions of viewers, offer a revealing snapshot of how Vladimir Putin's circle interprets the shifting US stance on the war. Far from feeling constrained, voices on Russian state TV are celebrating what they describe as an 'opportunity' to push harder on the battlefield while Western backing for Kyiv appears uncertain.

Russian State Media Pundits Claim US Is 'Letting Us Attack Ukraine'

On a recent state TV programme, one panelist put it bluntly: 'the United States is letting us attack Ukraine'. The remark came during a discussion about the latest round of talks between Ukraine and Russia, held with US involvement in the United Arab Emirates.

Dmitry Novikov, a leading researcher at the Centre for Central Asian Studies, argued that any compromise over territory would be politically impossible for President Volodymyr Zelensky. For the Ukrainian leader, he said, 'any territorial concession would be a political suicide' – a phrase that underlines how high the stakes are for Kyiv's leadership.

Novikov then turned to what he sees as a decisive shift in Washington's posture. 'I get an impression that Americans are simply waiting. They have given us an opportunity. "Go ahead and take it. We won't help you, you are not our allies, but we won't really get in your way either." This option suits us well.'

It was an unusually candid acknowledgement that the Kremlin believes it can advance militarily while the US steps back from its previous role as Kyiv's chief security guarantor. On Russian TV, this is being framed not as a diplomatic opening, but as tactical licence.

Another commentator focused on Donald Trump's much‑discussed 'Board of Peace' – the body touted by the US president as a vehicle for ending global conflicts. One pundit suggested it 'resembles a board of directors with Trump as its chairman' populated by 'great directors and weak ones'. They went further, claiming Trump's board 'is a board to unfreeze our [Russian] assets', and concluding: 'As of this week, Trump is ours again.'

For Moscow's domestic audience, the message is clear: Russia is no longer isolated, and the man in the White House can be cast as a de facto partner in securing sanctions relief and territorial gains.

Russian State Media Pundits Cheer Trump As Donbas Peace Talks Stall

The show of confidence on Russian screens comes against a backdrop of intensified attacks. Putin's forces have recently launched new strikes across Ukraine, even as delegations from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington gather in Abu Dhabi for the first trilateral talks since the full‑scale invasion began in 2022.

The Kremlin has reiterated that any peace deal must include Ukraine withdrawing its troops from eastern areas Russia illegally annexed but never fully captured, particularly in the Donbas region. Putin has insisted that Kyiv pull back from the remaining parts of Donetsk still under Ukrainian control, despite years of fighting having failed to deliver full Russian domination on the ground.

Earlier in the week, Russian President Vladimir Putin held marathon overnight talks with Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, reportedly discussing the parameters of a settlement. Those discussions, and the perception in Moscow that Trump is placing less emphasis on Ukrainian red lines, are feeding the triumphant tone now heard on state TV.

From Kyiv's side, however, the picture looks very different. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: 'Ukrainian diplomatic team reports almost every hour from the UAE, where a conversation took place today involving the Ukrainian, American, and Russian delegations. They are discussing the parameters for ending the war. By now, our team should already have at least some answers from Russia. The key is that Russia must be ready to end the war it started. Ukraine's positions are clear. I have defined the framework for dialogue for our delegation.'

Territorial disputes remain the central obstacle, particularly in Donbas. Zelensky has repeatedly refused to give up any land, and opinion polls in Ukraine show little appetite for trading territory for a ceasefire. The Kremlin, meanwhile, continues to insist that 'full control' of Donbas is a 'very important condition' for peace.

Describing the two‑day Abu Dhabi summit, Zelensky called it 'a step – hopefully towards ending the war', but warned that a range of possible outcomes still lay ahead. In Russian studios, the calculation seems more straightforward: if the US is no longer willing to stand squarely in Ukraine's corner, then, as one pundit put it, 'this option suits us well'.

For Ukrainians under fire, and for European capitals watching closely, the spectacle of Russian state media pundits celebrating Trump's policy as an 'opportunity' only deepens fears that Moscow sees this moment not as a path to compromise, but as a chance to press its advantage.