Omar Bennett
The relationship between former US President Donald Trump and Russia has been a highly debated topic. Trump's refusal to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2016 presidential election and his friendly remarks towards him raised questions about his loyalty. Trump's campaign advisor, Carter Page, traveled to Moscow in July 2016 and criticized American foreign policy. Additionally, foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements about his interactions with Russian officials. Trump's administration has also been accused of taking executive actions that violate the US Constitution, such as pausing federal spending and banning birthright citizenship. These actions have led to lawsuits and concerns about a potential constitutional crisis. Trump's recent criticism of Putin and consideration of sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine have further fueled debates about his relationship with Russia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of publication | 2025-05-26 |
| Author's tone | Neutral |
| Evidence of Trump-Russia ties | George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor for the Trump Campaign, pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal investigators about his interactions with Russian nationals. Carter Page, who Trump identified as one of his foreign policy advisors, travelled to Moscow and criticised American foreign policy. |
| Trump's stance on Russia and Putin | Trump refused to criticise Putin during the 2016 presidential election and called him "highly respected". He has made comments equating the US and Russia morally and criticised NATO. |
| Trump's actions towards Russia | Trump is considering imposing new sanctions on Russia as he grows more furious with Putin. He has pressured Russia and Ukraine to end the war and facilitate peace talks. |
| Constitutional crisis | Legal experts and critics fear that the Trump administration's actions, such as defying court orders and violating constitutional principles, have plunged the country into a constitutional crisis. |
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What You'll Learn
- Trump's refusal to criticise Putin during the 2016 election
- Trump's foreign policy advisor, George Papadopoulos, met with a Russian-connected professor
- Trump's positive remarks about Putin, including calling him highly respected
- Trump's criticism of NATO and his suggestion that only paying allies deserve protection
- Trump's team's ties to Russia, including Carter Page's trip to Moscow
Trump's refusal to criticise Putin during the 2016 election
During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump refused to criticise Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, Trump was friendly and accommodating in his remarks, calling Putin a "highly respected" world leader. Trump's refusal to condemn Putin occurred despite growing evidence of Russian interference in the election and the DNC hacking scandal. Trump's campaign approved a trip to Moscow by Carter Page, one of his foreign policy advisors, who criticised American foreign policy in a speech.
Trump's foreign policy advisor, George Papadopoulos, also had connections with Russia. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements about his interactions with Russian nationals, who claimed to have "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. Despite these red flags, Trump refused to condemn Putin during the 2016 election, raising questions about his motives and potential ties to Russia.
Trump's refusal to criticise Putin stands in stark contrast to his recent statements about the Russian president. In 2025, Trump called Putin "absolutely crazy" and criticised his handling of the Ukraine-Russia war, marking a significant shift in tone. This shift could be attributed to Trump's realisation of Putin's true intentions, as suggested by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump's recent criticism of Putin has been accompanied by harsh words for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, blaming him for prolonging the war. However, Trump's earlier refusal to criticise Putin during the 2016 election remains a cause for concern and has led to accusations of Trump helping the Russians cause a constitutional crisis. California congressman Eric Swalwell introduced the "Prevent Corrupting Foreign Influence Act" to address such concerns, aiming to strengthen the US Constitution's emoluments clause prohibiting elected officials from receiving gifts from foreign governments without congressional consent.
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Trump's foreign policy advisor, George Papadopoulos, met with a Russian-connected professor
Papadopoulos's discussions with Mifsud centred around the Russian government's possession of "dirt" on Hillary Clinton, in the form of "thousands of emails". Mifsud learned of this information during a trip to Moscow, where he met with Russian officials. Upon his return, he informed Papadopoulos, who then shared this knowledge with Trump and other campaign advisers at a foreign policy meeting in March 2016. Papadopoulos also met with Alexander Downer, the Australian High Commissioner to Britain, and disclosed the information about the Clinton emails.
The revelation of Papadopoulos's interactions with Mifsud and his knowledge of the Russian "dirt" on Clinton sparked investigations and inquiries. Papadopoulos was found to have made false statements to federal investigators about the timing and nature of his relationships with foreign nationals connected to Russia. In October 2017, he pleaded guilty to felony charges related to these false statements and served a brief prison sentence.
The Trump campaign attempted to distance itself from Papadopoulos, despite initially praising him as an "excellent guy". Trump later referred to him as a "young, low-level volunteer" and a "liar". Papadopoulos was pardoned by Trump in December 2020.
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Trump's positive remarks about Putin, including calling him highly respected
During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump refused to criticise Russian President Vladimir Putin, instead making friendly and accommodating remarks. Trump called Putin "highly respected". In response to Bill O'Reilly's question about Putin being a "killer", Trump said:
> We've got a lot of killers... you think our country's so innocent?
This was seen as a false moral equivalence, and it is unheard of for a US president to insult and demean their own country. Trump has also criticised NATO, stating that only the NATO allies that paid equally to the alliance deserved protection from the United States.
In May 2025, Trump said that Putin had ""gone absolutely CRAZY!" in reference to the war in Ukraine. He also criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying:
> Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop.
Trump has been attempting to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, and has pressured both countries to end the war. However, he has softened his demands, shifting from an immediate 30-day ceasefire to demanding a summit with Putin.
In response to Trump's comments, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov attributed them to ""emotional overload", saying:
> This is a very crucial moment, which is naturally accompanied by emotional overload on all sides and emotional reactions.
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Trump's criticism of NATO and his suggestion that only paying allies deserve protection
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump refused to criticise Russian President Vladimir Putin and was accommodating in his remarks, even referring to Putin as "highly respected". This behaviour set the tone for his presidency, which was characterised by a harsh criticism of NATO and a suggestion that only paying allies deserve protection.
Trump's suggestion that only paying allies deserve protection has been criticised as undermining the security of both the US and Europe, putting American and European soldiers at increased risk. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasised the importance of mutual defence, stating that "any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security".
Trump's stance on NATO has been characterised by his focus on defence spending. He has questioned whether other NATO members, such as France, would come to the aid of the United States in a moment of crisis. Trump views NATO as "potentially good" if the spending issues are addressed. He has also criticised the alliance for what he perceives as unfair trade practices, stating that "they're screwing us on trade".
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Trump's team's ties to Russia, including Carter Page's trip to Moscow
Trump's ties to Russia have been a highly debated topic. During the 2016 presidential election, Trump refused to criticise Russian President Vladimir Putin and was accommodating in his remarks, calling him "highly respected". Trump also put the US on equal moral footing with Russia, stating that the US also has "a lot of killers".
Trump has also surrounded himself with people who do business with and are sympathetic to Russia. Members of his 2016 campaign and other associates had frequent contact with senior Russian intelligence officials. One such associate is Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. Page travelled to Moscow in July 2016, a month after Russia's DNC meddling was revealed in the press. The Trump campaign approved this trip, stating that he would not be travelling as an official representative. During his trip, Page criticised American foreign policy and met with Russian officials, including Arkady Dvorkovich, a Deputy Prime Minister in Dmitry Medvedev's cabinet.
Page's trip to Moscow spurred the FBI's probe into possible connections between members of the Trump campaign and Russia. The FBI had previously become aware in 2013 that Russian spies were trying to recruit Page. Page has fervently denied any wrongdoing in his contacts with Russian officials. However, he has struggled to deny these accusations in media appearances, where he has appeared to stumble over his words.
Another associate with ties to Russia is Erik Prince, who had a secret meeting with a Russian close to President Putin in January 2017. The meeting was allegedly arranged to establish a back-channel line of communication between Russia and then President-elect Trump. Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has also come under scrutiny for pursuing a Trump Tower deal in Moscow during the 2016 campaign.
Trump's team also includes JD Gordon, a national security advisor who advocated for more pro-Russian policies, and Wilbur Ross, the Secretary of Commerce who was the top shareholder in the Bank of Cyprus, an institution with deep Russian ties. Trump himself has travelled to Russia extensively and has done business there, including a real estate sale to Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev.
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Frequently asked questions
A constitutional crisis occurs when the fundamental principles of governance, primarily the Constitution in the U.S., are threatened, undermined, or unable to resolve political conflicts.
Trump has been accused of having ties to Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, during his 2016 presidential campaign and his presidency. He has refused to criticize Putin and has made accommodating remarks, even referring to him as "highly respected". Trump has also criticized NATO and questioned whether the U.S. is innocent in response to allegations of Russia's involvement in the 2016 election. These actions have raised concerns about a potential constitutional crisis.
Trump has taken executive actions that violate the Constitution, such as pausing federal spending, which infringes on Congress's power to allocate funds, and attempting to ban birthright citizenship, which contradicts the 14th Amendment. He has also defied court orders and refused to comply with Supreme Court rulings, resulting in legal challenges and concerns about constitutional crisis.
Trump's actions have led to nearly 180 lawsuits from states and national organizations challenging his administration's executive orders on constitutional grounds. Despite the pushback, the Trump administration has continued to act in ways that violate constitutional principles, such as defying judicial orders and refusing to comply with the Supreme Court. This has resulted in concerns among legal experts and critics that the country is in a constitutional crisis.
