‘Putin is playing Trump like a Fiddle’: GOP Senator blasts President over Russia policy
WASHINGTON, DC: Backlash over President Donald Trump's evolving policy approach towards Russia is intensifying, as leaders from both sides of the aisle criticised him over concerns that his administration is weakening support for Ukraine.
Trump recently announced a diesel supply agreement with Moscow involving hundreds of thousands of metric tons of fuel for US and global markets. Days later, on October 16, Trump issued an executive order waiving certain sanctions, restrictions and duties under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.
Tillis says Putin is playing Trump like a ‘fiddle’ to betray Ukraine
Outgoing GOP senator Thom Tillis, who has often criticized President Trump and expressed concerns that the president could hurt the GOP voter base, is currently on a media tour to promote his recently launched book ‘How to Win Friends and Antagonize President.’
Tillis said Russian President Vladimir Putin was playing Trump “like a fiddle” by shifting US policy away from supporting Ukraine. He warned that history would not judge Trump favourably if the United States abandoned Ukraine.
Tillis also rejected Moscow’s justification for invading Ukraine, including its claim that the invasion was necessary to “de-Nazify” the country. He argued that the United States could regret the decision to strike a diesel deal with Moscow and ease certain restrictions on Russian energy exports.
“Russians are lying. Putin is lying. Putin is playing President Trump like a fiddle. And history is not going to look good on an America that failed to rise up and defend the Western world if Putin actually gets his way,” Tillis told CNN in an interview on Monday.
Tillis also criticised Trump’s openness to a proposed trilateral summit with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, describing the idea as “absurd.”
“I believe that a summit with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, two countries who want to overwhelm the world, is absurd,” he said.
Is the Trump administration restricting military aid to Ukraine?
Although the Trump administration has pushed back against claims that it is restricting military support for Ukraine, Tillis has questioned whether US assistance to Kyiv has been curtailed.
“I want to know how the service has degraded over time — either intelligence sharing or the capabilities of Starlink,” Tillis said, referring to reports of disruptions to Ukraine’s access to Starshield, SpaceX’s satellite system used for military purposes, and critical US intelligence.
Tillis and three other Republicans, including Sens. John Cornyn (Texas), Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), signed a letter last week calling on the Pentagon’s inspector general to investigate whether any senior Pentagon officials ordered or had advance knowledge of a decision to limit Ukraine’s access to Starshield and US intelligence.
The reported disruptions and the senators’ demand for an investigation have raised further questions about the extent of US military and intelligence support for Ukraine.
However, the circumstances surrounding the reported restrictions and the role of senior officials remain matters for investigation.
Meanwhile, several US and European leaders have criticised Trump’s decision to facilitate Russian diesel supplies to international markets, arguing that the move could benefit Moscow while its war against Ukraine continues.
Critics have warned that efforts to rebuild ties with Russia while easing pressure on Moscow could undermine US credibility with its allies, weaken efforts to pressure Putin over the war and do little to significantly reduce domestic fuel prices.
