In a geopolitical landscape where Ukraine struggles, Vladimir Putin appears to dominate the narrative. A widely circulated video shows him seemingly belittling Donald Trump during a Moscow press conference. The exchange, marked by humor regarding the timing of a scheduled call, highlights Putin’s nonchalance towards American expectations. Despite a delay in the call that began an hour late, it raises questions about whether this was a strategic move or merely a habitual tardiness, reflecting Putin’s control in ongoing tensions.
Putin’s Timing: The Power Play in Global Politics
In the ongoing geopolitical chess game, it appears that while Ukraine finds itself at a disadvantage, Vladimir Putin is firmly in control of the narrative. A recent video that has circulated widely on social media since March 18 depicts the Russian leader seemingly “humiliating” former President Donald Trump during a press conference. The footage showcases Putin’s relaxed demeanor as he remains engaged in discussions, leading some viewers to jest that Trump is being treated like “a common servant,” a comment that has resonated with over 220,000 users online.
Understanding the Context of the Exchange
The video in question features Putin at the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs congress in Moscow, where he is approached by Alexander Shokhin, the group’s president. During their exchange, Shokhin humorously gestures towards his watch, prompting laughter between the two men. However, the question arises: are they truly mocking the American president?
While the humor seems directed at the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, who had previously indicated that a call between Putin and Trump was expected to take place before 6 PM, it’s evident that the timing of the call was the crux of the joke. Putin’s light-hearted retort to Shokhin—”Don’t listen to him, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about”—suggests that the Russian president is more focused on the dynamics of his own schedule rather than the expectations of his American counterpart.
Earlier that same day, Peskov confirmed to Russian journalists that the anticipated conversation was slated for between 4 PM and 6 PM Moscow time, paralleling the information from the White House, which indicated a timeframe of 9 AM to 11 AM local time in Washington. However, as reported by the continuous news channel Rossiya 24, Putin was still delivering a speech at 3:47 PM, nearly 47 minutes past the initial schedule.
The call eventually commenced at 10 AM Washington time—5 PM in Moscow—confirming that it indeed started an hour later than planned. This raises the question: is Putin employing a strategic negotiation tactic, or was this simply an unintentional delay? It’s a difficult determination, especially considering Putin’s history of arriving late to engagements, which serves as a reminder that he feels no rush to engage in discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict that has persisted for over three years.