WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 U.S. Director of 春色直播 Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin 鈥渁re very good friends鈥 who are focused on ways to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Russia.
The two presidents about the war in Ukraine.
Gabbard said ties between Russia and the U.S. go 鈥渧ery far back鈥 and that Trump is committed to expanding a relationship centered 鈥渁round peace, prosperity, freedom and security.鈥
鈥淲e have two leaders of two great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and shared interests,鈥 Gabbard said in an interview with India's NDTV, were released Monday ahead of its broadcast.
Gabbard鈥檚 comments reflect the dramatic shift in U.S.-Russia relations under Trump, who has boasted of his relationship with Putin, for Russia鈥檚 invasion and taken a . Under Trump's administration, the U.S. briefly suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine and also has suspended some against Russia.
Gabbard, who oversees the nation鈥檚 intelligence services, has in the past and expressed . A veteran, Gabbard became the elected to Congress when she served as a representative from Hawaii.
The comments about the friendship between Trump and Putin and the ties between the U.S. and Russia 鈥 longtime adversaries 鈥 alarmed some critics of Trump's call for warmer relations with Moscow.
鈥淲hat are the 鈥榮hared objectives and interests鈥 of the United States and Putin鈥檚 Russia?鈥 Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov posted Monday on X. 鈥淒estroying Ukraine? Killing NATO? Conquering Europe? Fascism? It鈥檚 not peace or ending the war, because Russia could do that today and doesn鈥檛.鈥
In the portions of the interview released by NDTV, Gabbard criticized former President Joe Biden鈥檚 handling of the and said Trump鈥檚 push for both sides to agree to a ceasefire comes from an 鈥渦nwavering commitment to peace.鈥
鈥淯nder the previous administration, there was no effort at all towards peace or direct dialogue with Putin to bring an end to this war. So, in a very short period of time, Trump has made much more progress towards peace than any other previous effort,鈥 Gabbard said.
While in India, Gabbard will speak to an international security conference. Her trip also includes stops in Japan and Thailand.
