An exiled Russian journalist told Fox News’ Will Cain that he believes President Donald Trump is “speaking” in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “narratives” when he discusses a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Tikhon Dzyadko, the editor in chief of TV Rain, joined Cain on Monday evening and expressed skepticism in Putin abiding by the terms of any peace deal, noting Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 despite it violating the 1994 Budapest memorandum. Cain questioned whether any deal would satisfy Dzyadko, who fled Russia after TV Rain was declared to be an “undesirable organization” by the Russian government in 2023.
Trump recently met with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky separately to negotiate a peace deal to end Russia’s invasion. Dzyadko argued Trump is echoing Putin in arguing there needs to be a compromise to end the war.
“If you just can’t trust Putin is, are you backing yourself into, well, it must be all-out war and complete surrender?” Cain asked.
“What Donald Trump is now proposing, he’s proposing what Putin proposes,” Dzyadko argued. “This is the meeting in the White House today is a meeting between Zelensky and Donald Trump, but at the same time, it is a meeting between Zelensky and Putin because Trump changed his agenda after the meeting on Alaska with Putin, and now he’s speaking in Putin’s narratives. Maybe there could be another way. I’m not a politician, but what I see now, I see that this is a bad road.”
“A deal for peace requires a compromise between the parties. I can assure you that Ukraine won’t accept one that they don’t think is a compromise,” Cain responded. “Today I hope we are moving in that direction, but we’re not just in the days anymore of saying who is speaking for Putin and who is not.”
Check out the exchange below:
WILL CAIN: Okay, Tikhon, just as a quick follow-up here with you, I understand your skepticism. Again, you and I have spoken on several occasions. Doesn’t that not lead you towards any — you wouldn’t trust any deal for peace? Like, I just don’t know what that backs you into if you just can’t trust Putin. Are you backing yourself into, well, it must be all-out war and complete surrender?
TIKHON DZYADKO: Well, look, this is the fact. You cannot trust Putin because Putin lies. And I’ve spent 37 years in Russia. Unfortunately, I was forced to leave Russia after the beginning of the invasion, but I know who he is. He is the leader of Russia more than 20, 25 years. Next, when we’re talking about the war, of course, we see here that Ukraine is not winning. At the same time, we don’t see that Russia is winning. And what Donald Trump is now proposing, he’s proposing what Putin proposes. This is the meeting in the White House today is a meeting between Zelensky and Donald Trump, but at the same time, it is a meeting between Zelansky and Putin because Trump changed his agenda after the meeting on Alaska with Putin, and now he’s speaking in Putin’s narratives. Maybe there could be another way. I’m not a politician, but what I see now, I see that this is a bad road.
CAIN: Tikhon, I always appreciate your opinion, I appreciate your personal experience, but I’ve got seven or eight European leaders right there sitting with President Trump today. This has to be a moment where we have a little more hope than simply suggesting that Donald Trump is being the voice of Vladimir Putin today. A deal for peace requires a compromise between the parties. I can assure you that Ukraine won’t accept one that they don’t think is a compromise. Today I hope we are moving in that direction, but we’re not just in the days anymore of saying who is speaking for Putin and who is not.
Watch above via Fox News.