Putin Poses as a Victim: Seeking Trump’s Sympathy Amid Ukrainian Attacks

Just two weeks ago, Putin publicly referred to someone as “crazy” due to the ongoing attacks against civilians in Ukraine. However, the relationship between the two leaders appears to be shifting. Following recent developments, the blame for the continued bloodshed seems to be redirected towards Volodymyr Zelenskyy rather than Vladimir Putin, who was previously condemned—especially by Donald Trump—for a war that has lasted three years. Now that attacks are originating from Ukraine’s side, it seems that the Russian president is facing a significant opportunity: gaining the sympathy of Donald Trump. This is according to an analysis by Sky News. Both leaders focused on Ukrainian attacks “against Russian citizens.” Prior to this, Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine’s leadership of being a “terrorist organization” following a bombing attack on a highway bridge in the Bryansk region, which left seven dead and dozens injured. These statements resemble the accusations made by Ukraine against Russia. However, the Kremlin managed—without doing anything—to position itself as the victim. “The goal is to reverse the narrative against Ukraine, portray Russia as the aggrieved party, and convince Donald Trump that Russia has the right to respond to the drone attack with large-scale bombings,” the analysis states. The tactic might well succeed. Donald Trump, after a phone conversation, announced independently that Russia would “respond” to the Ukrainian attacks, without it being known whether he tried to persuade Vladimir Putin. “Russia wants to be seen as a victim but does not want to appear weak. For this embarrassing episode, they have chosen to stay out of the headlines,” the analysis concludes.