Donald Trump’s recent military strike on Iran has rattled Russian hardliners, with some influential voices in Moscow urging President Vladimir Putin to abandon U.S.-brokered peace talks and intensify the war in Ukraine instead.
When Trump returned to the White House last year, segments of Russia’s nationalist elite were cautiously optimistic. They hoped his transactional style and unpredictability might open the door to a pragmatic deal over Ukraine.
But following U.S. military action against Iran — including joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — many Russian hawks now see Trump as an increasingly dangerous and unreliable actor.
Nationalist tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev said Washington’s actions proved it could not be trusted.
“The unprincipled United States is a threat to the entire world,” he said, questioning how Moscow could negotiate with such a power over Ukraine.
Boris Rozhin, a prominent pro-war blogger known as “Colonel Cassad,” described Trump as a “monster” and warned that relying on agreements with Washington would be either “foolishness or treason.”
Andrei Sidorov, a well-known academic commentator, went further on state television, calling Trump “a dangerous man” and expressing regret that he survived an assassination attempt during the 2024 U.S. election campaign.
The unusually sharp rhetoric highlights growing unease among Russia’s security and political elite, who fear that Moscow’s global influence is weakening while it remains bogged down in Ukraine.
Despite the criticism from hardliners, the Kremlin has avoided attacking Trump personally. It has condemned U.S. actions as “unprovoked aggression” but continues to pursue dialogue over Ukraine, hoping Trump may still facilitate a settlement favorable to Moscow.
Russian officials have also refrained from offering tangible military support to Tehran beyond diplomatic backing. Analysts say there is little Moscow could do in practical terms, even if it wanted to, given its military commitments in Ukraine.
The Kremlin appears to be attempting a delicate balancing act: maintaining workable relations with Trump to keep Ukraine negotiations alive, while distancing itself from U.S. policies it opposes.
Hardliners argue that Trump is systematically removing Russia’s allies. They cite the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, and the killing of Khamenei as evidence that Moscow’s partners are being targeted one by one.
Ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin, once an admirer of Trump, warned that Russia could be next if Iran collapses. He said Trump had drifted away from his original “America First” stance toward a more interventionist posture.
At the same time, some analysts in Moscow see limited potential benefits. Higher oil prices resulting from Middle East instability could ease pressure on Russia’s strained state budget. There is also speculation that prolonged conflict in the region might divert U.S. weapons supplies and attention away from Ukraine.
Still, the sharp tone from influential nationalist voices reflects genuine concern. Many in Moscow’s hawkish camp now question whether Trump is the pragmatic dealmaker they once hoped for — or a leader whose assertive foreign policy could ultimately turn against Russia itself.