He is accused of being a propagandist for the Russian government and is a confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Simes is a Russian-American political pundit, author and editor who served as the president and CEO of The Center for the National Interest.

The comments, in an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, were Trump’s clearest indication to date that he was unsure he would be able to quell Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Vladimir Putin intends to retaliate “very strongly” against Ukraine for a surprise drone strike on Russian airfields over the weekend, a declaration that provoked alarm in Washington and abroad even as Trump touted his efforts to bring peace to the region.