Donald Trump recently gave Melania a compliment that, depending on how you hear it, might land more as a backhanded swipe than sweet praise.
It all came out when he was asked whether the First Lady has any influence on his thinking about the war between Russia and Ukraine. It’s no secret Melania has been quietly pushing her husband to get tougher on Vladimir Putin, a move that’s actually won her some applause from Ukrainians who appreciate the stance.
When pressed about it, Trump offered up what was supposed to be a glowing review. “She’s very smart.. Sort of like me.” He went on to elaborate, saying, “She’s very smart. She’s very neutral, she’s very neutral in a sense. She’s sort of like me — she’d like to see people stop dying.”
REPORTER: Has Melania influenced your thinking on Russia-Ukraine?
TRUMP: She’s very smart. She’s very neutral. She’s sort of like me — she’d like to see people stop dying pic.twitter.com/Ya4TdwYJ06
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 15, 2025
Trump tried to make himself sound equally above the fray, adding, “People said are you for one side or another. I’m on the side of people stopping dying.”
Of course, Trump’s record on actually brokering peace is… complicated. Despite making big promises on the campaign trail about easing US-Russian tensions, he’s yet to score a successful peace negotiation. He even admitted that Melania has a habit of cutting through his spin whenever he tried to paint too rosy a picture about dealing with Putin.
“I go home, I tell the First Lady: I spoke with Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation,” Trump shared. “She said: Really? Another city was just hit.”
He didn’t stop there. Trump offered more on their marital debriefings. “We thought we had a deal numerous times. I get home, I’d say, ‘First Lady, I had the most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we’re done’,” he continued. “And then I’d switch on the TV or she’ll remark, ‘Well, that’s odd because they just bombed a nursing home.'”
Now Trump’s trying to show some teeth. This week he threatened “very severe” tariffs on Russia if they don’t agree to a peace treaty in 50 days. Details were scarce, but he described them as secondary tariffs that would target Russia’s trading partners, aiming to box Moscow out of the global economy.
Zelenskyy now has an unexpected ally in White House – Melania Trump.
The Times: Melania is turning Trump against Putin more than his advisers.
Trump: ‘I tell Melania, ‘I spoke to Vladimir today.’
She says, ‘Oh really? Another city in Ukraine was just hit.’
— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) July 15, 2025
People on X.com had some reactions to Melania’s influence on Trump regarding the Russia Ukraine war. One person commented, “LOL. I don’t believe that story…” Another person wrote, “If true I’ll take back my desire that she be deported.” A third comment read, “God bless her.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared that he and Trump recently caught up over the phone. Zelenskyy posted that they “discussed the necessary means and solutions with the President to provide better protection for people from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions,” adding that Trump “agreed to catch up more often by phone and coordinate our steps in the future.”
