Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Presidential Council on Civil Society and Human Rights via video link in Moscow, Russia, December 9, 2025.
Gabriel Grigorov | via Reuters
President Donald Trump said Friday that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is supporting Iran in its war against the United States and Israel.
Trump’s comments came during a radio interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, a week after the president slammed Fox News reporter Peter Doocy for questioning him at the White House about reports of Russia aiding Iran.
Kilmeade asked Trump on Friday: “Do you think President Putin is helping them?”
Trump replied: “I think he might be helping them a little bit, yeah.”
“Maybe he thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?” Trump continued.
“Yes, we support them too,” Trump said, referring to Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since it invaded in early 2022.
“So he (Putin) is saying that, and China will say the same thing,” Trump told Kilmeade.
“It’s like, ‘To be fair, they’re doing it, we’re doing it,'” Trump said. “They do it, and so do we.”
President Trump spoke by phone with President Putin on Monday.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday that during that call, the Russian side “said they were not sharing” information with Iran.
“So we can take their word for it,” Witkoff said that day. “Let’s hope they don’t share.”
