On Fox News, an exiled Russian journalist says Donald Trump is “speaking in Putin’s narratives”
Tikhon Dzyadko: “What Donald Trump is now proposing, he’s proposing what Putin proposes”
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From the August 18, 2025, edition of Fox News' The Will Cain Show
TIKHON DZYADKO (GUEST): So now when we are talking about possible deal with Vladimir Putin, it's obvious to me that this deal could not last long. Because even if he says now -- and we heard Mr. Witkoff told CNN that Vladimir Putin promised that Russia will have a law which will forbid the Russian Federation to aggressive moves against Europe and other Ukraine regions. It's obvious that this law will not mean anything for Vladimir Putin. Because the same thing he has with Crimea, the Budapest Memorandum, which he signed in 1994. So I think that the most important thing here is security guarantees.
WILL CAIN (HOST): Okay, Tikhon, just as a quick follow-up here with you, I understand your skepticism. Again, you and I have spoken on several occasions, doesn't that not lead you towards any -- you wouldn't trust any deal for peace. Like, I just don't know what that backs you into if you just can't trust Putin. Is -- are you backing yourself into, well, it must be all-out war and complete surrender?
DZYADKO: Well, look, this is the fact. You cannot trust Putin, because Putin lies. And I've spent 37 years in Russia -- unfortunately, I was forced to leave Russia after the beginning of the invasion. But I know who he is. He is the leader of Russia of more than 25 years. What next? When we're talking about the war, of course we see here that Ukraine is not winning. At the same time, we don't see that Russia is winning. And what Donald Trump is now proposing, he's proposing what Putin proposes. This is -- the meeting in the White House today is a meeting between Zelensky and Donald Trump, but at the same time it is a meeting between Zelensky and Putin. Because Trump changed his agenda after the meeting in Alaska with Putin, and now he's speaking in Putin's narratives. Maybe there could be another way. Another politician. But what I see now, I see that this is a bad road.
CAIN: Tikhon, I always appreciate your opinion, I appreciate your personal experience, but I've got seven or eight European leaders right there, sitting with President Trump today. This has to be a moment where we have a little bit more hope than simply suggesting that Donald Trump is being the voice of Vladimir Putin today. A deal for peace requires a compromise between the parties. I can assure you that Ukraine won't accept one that they don't think is a compromise. Today I hope we are moving in that direction. But we're not just in the days anymore of saying who is speaking for Putin and who is not. This is about land and this is about security, and I'm sorry Tikhon, it's TV, everybody thinks it's conspiracy when you say I've got to go, but I've been told I'm way over time five times.