What We Know About Trump's Push to Flatter Putin Over Ukraine

President Donald Trump's administration has escalated praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks, a shift foreign policy experts told NBC News is meant to coax the Russian leader back to the negotiating table over the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year.

The approach has produced friction inside Trump's own party, and it remains untested whether flattery will move Putin toward a settlement.

What did Witkoff say about Putin, and why did it draw criticism?

Steve Witkoff, Trump's lead negotiator on the Russia-Ukraine war, called Putin "a humanitarian" during a stop in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, according to NBC News. The remark came as Russia released retired American teacher Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained since 2022 — the human-interest backdrop against which Witkoff's praise registered publicly.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, rejected the characterization at a campaign stop in Norway, Maine. "I would describe Putin as a warmonger, a thug. He's certainly not a humanitarian," Collins said, adding, "He is the aggressor in the war against Ukraine," NBC News reported.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is not seeking re-election after public disagreements with Trump, posted a shorter rebuke: "WTF, Steve? Look up the definition of 'humanitarian,'" according to the outlet.

What is Trump's broader strategy toward Putin?

Trump returned to office pledging a swift end to the war, saying last year he was on "nobody's side" except "humanity's side," NBC News reported. Experts cited by the outlet said that declared neutrality has eroded as Trump has taken steps that strengthen Russia's negotiating position and may help rehabilitate Putin's standing internationally.

Trump has long approached diplomacy through personal rapport, and he has not hidden his regard for Putin, the outlet noted. When the two met for a summit in Alaska last year in what NBC News described as a futile attempt to end the war, the United States rolled out a red carpet for Putin. A photograph of the two leaders standing side by side now hangs in the White House's Palm Room, according to the report.

The strategic logic, per the experts NBC News consulted, is that flattery and gestures of respect might give Putin reason to sit down and negotiate rather than continue fighting. Whether that logic holds is, by the outlet's own framing, "another question."

"I would describe Putin as a warmonger, a thug. He's certainly not a humanitarian." — Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine

How have Republican lawmakers reacted?

The pushback from Collins and Tillis shows at least some daylight between Trump's diplomatic messaging and members of his own party. Collins, who NBC News noted is in a competitive re-election race, delivered her comments at a factory campaign stop, explicitly rejecting Witkoff's framing in favor of calling Putin the war's aggressor. Tillis's blunter social media post came after what the outlet described as his own public disagreements with Trump, suggesting the criticism is not confined to lawmakers facing voters.

No other GOP reaction appears in the available reporting, and it is not clear from the source material how widespread the discomfort is within the party.

What does Freedom House say about Russia under Putin?

Freedom House, a nonprofit that works to expand freedom and democracy, describes Russia as an authoritarian country where power is "concentrated in the hands of President Vladimir Putin," according to NBC News. The group says the Kremlin "manipulates elections and suppresses genuine dissent." That characterization sits in direct tension with Witkoff's "humanitarian" label, a contrast NBC News drew without resolving which framing should prevail.

Is it clear whether the flattery approach will work?

No. The reporting makes clear that experts see a deliberate strategy behind the praise — encouraging Putin toward talks — but does not report any evidence yet that the approach has changed Putin's calculus or produced a ceasefire framework. The war remains active, according to the dispatch, and the diplomatic overtures described — the Witkoff remark, the Alaska summit, the White House photograph — are presented as attempts, not outcomes.

What is documented: a shift in tone from Trump's stated neutrality, a notable public statement from his top negotiator, and immediate, named Republican objections. What is not yet documented, based on the available reporting, is whether Putin has responded with any concrete movement toward negotiations.