The mood in Russia is upbeat, bordering on triumphant, following Monday’s phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
“The tone of the conversation was excellent,” crows the headline in the newspaper Argumenty i Fakty, quoting the American president’s assessment of the conversation.
Trump has “accepted the Russian formula” of “negotiations first, ceasefire after”, the paper brags.
Another, Komsomolskaya Pravda, runs with Putin‘s description of the call as their main headline: “We are on the right track”.
According to the pro-Kremlin paper, Trump’s approach shows the United States “is not going to indulge [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and Europe”.
Much of the coverage portrays the call as a battle for Trump’s affections, with Russia emerging victorious despite the influence of “Western hawks”.
“[Trump] did not heed their requests,” says Argumenty i Fakty, referring to Europe’s calls for tougher sanctions.
Trump and Putin shake hands in Helsinki in July 2018. File pic: Reuters
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In Kommersant, there’s talk of the two leaders sharing a “common language”.
The paper talks about how Trump has adopted “the most favourable position” for Moscow, which it claims “came as a complete surprise to the Western allies of the United States, nullifying their expectations”.
“In Kyiv and the camp of its Western allies, disappointment reigns over the “betrayal” of the United States”, it gloats.
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There’s no talk of the Kremlin stalling negotiations or dragging its feet. On the contrary, Putin’s pledge to work with Ukraine on a memorandum for a future peace treaty is characterised as a logical next step.
“The purpose of the conversation was to advance the peace process in Ukraine”, the daily Vedomosti states soberly.
There’s not a hint of irony, nor criticism. Only glee.