Scoop: Trump admired Ukraine's "badass" attack, but worries what's next
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President Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of their Oval Office meeting in February. Photo: Ben Curtis/AP
President Trump thought Ukraine's surprise drone attack over the weekend was "strong" and "badass," sources who discussed it with him tell Axios, but he's also concerned it will make his ceasefire mission even harder.
Why it matters: The meticulously planned operation on Russia's most strategic air bases — conducted remotely from thousands of miles away — suggested Ukraine has more "cards" than Trump gave them credit for, but also effectively dared Russian President Vladimir Putin to escalate in return.
- Trump said Wednesday that Putin had told him "very strongly" that he'd be hitting back. "It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace," Trump said of their call.
- He has been surprisingly mum in public when it comes to his personal feelings about Ukraine's attack. In private, though, he marveled at the operation.
Behind the scenes: "Pretty strong," Trump told one confidant, who relayed his remarks to Axios.
- "He thought it was badass," a second source said of Trump's reaction.
- One Trump adviser said: "From an international perspective, you've got a chihuahua inflicting some real damage on a much bigger dog."
The flipside: Trump also told people he met with in recent days that the drone attack likely would push Putin to retaliate very significantly, another source with knowledge said.
- Trump is concerned that the scenario will set back his diplomatic initiative, which generated the first direct talks between the parties in three years, the source said.
- "We want this war to end. We want it to de-escalate. So if Putin goes crazy in response, yeah, the president has concerns," another source who spoke to Trump said.
- Putin said Wednesday during a meeting that was broadcast on both Russian and Ukrainian TV that the attacks put in doubt any ceasefire or leader-level meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Reality check: The recent talks showed no sign of a breakthrough, and Zelensky noted that Putin had been refusing to pursue a ceasefire long before the attack.
- "Unfortunately, Putin feels impunity. Even after all of Russia's horrific attacks, he is reportedly preparing yet more so-called 'responses.' It means that with every new strike, with every delay of diplomacy, Russia is giving the finger to the entire world — to all those who still hesitate to increase pressure on it," he posted on X Wednesday, in a subtle jab at Trump.
Between the lines: One reason Ukraine's attack concerned the White House was that it targeted long-range bombers that can carry nuclear weapons and are a key part of Russia's nuclear deterrence.
- "This is a very dangerous point," the U.S. official said.
The bottom line: "The drone attack didn't surprise him, because this is what happens when the war continues, but he is concerned that it will prolong the fighting. He wants the fighting to stop, so it disappoints him whenever there is an attack like that," a senior White House official said.
- Despite those concerns, though, Trump was also impressed by what the Ukrainians pulled off.
