Is the Bromance Between Trump and Putin Really Dead?

Trump signals frustration with Putin over Ukraine, hinting at sanctions and marking a possible end to their long-standing 'bromance'.

- JOHN DOBSON

"Do you think Vladimir Putin will be going to the Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow this November," tweeted the owner of the pageant, Donald Trump, in 2013. "If so, will he become my new best friend?" So started a love affair between the property developer-turned-politician, and the KGB spy-turned-politician, described by many as the most enduring and significant geopolitical bromance in recent years.

During the presidential election campaign three years later, Trump time and time again broke from political orthodoxy by showering praise on the Russian president. "Putin has become a big hero in Russia—a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond" he tweeted. Putin returned the praise, saying that Trump "is a very talented man and really a leader in many ways. He's a bright and talented person, no doubt about that". This mutual admiration society continued throughout Trump's first presidency, when he repeatedly praised Putin saying things like "I think he's a strong leader", even calling him a "genius" on multiple occasions. When Putin ordered the illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 Trump, who was out of office at the time and facing numerous legal challenges, described Putin's move as "pretty savvy!"