President Donald Trump on Thursday (August 27, 2026) insisted Russian leader Vladimir Putin would not attack NATO territory, downplaying reports that Washington had warned Moscow against a possible move on Europe. U.S.
But Mr. Mr. “A lot of such scare stories are being published right now. Russia has repeatedly rebuffed Ukrainian demands for face-to-face peace talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, instead demanding Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donbas region.
Trump also played down the need to punish Russia for trading with Tehran, after his administration announced an “economic D-Day” targeting the Islamic republic’s business partners if it refuses to open the Strait of Hormuz. “So far, I think Russia’s behaved quite well, having to do with the Strait of Hormuz,” he said. Trump said on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) that the CIA director’s Moscow trip was “semi-routine” and indicated it was linked to broader moves to end Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Of course, they have nothing to do with reality,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked to comment on the reports at a daily briefing. On Ukraine, he said Russia “would prefer to achieve its objectives by peaceful means, but in the absence of an opportunity to do so, it is continuing the special military operation,” referring to Moscow’s ongoing offensive against Kyiv. The two discussed “a number of issues that fall within the remit of intelligence services,” he said, describing it as “quite a delicate and special matter.”
