With President Trump doing substantial heavy lifting in the past few days, there is finally movement towards a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war. In the absence of things to spin negatively, some in legacy media are left conjuring up old insinuations of inappropriate closeness between world leaders.
Watch as ABC’s Rachel Scott and Mary Bruce suggest there is this profound relationship between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin:
RACHEL SCOTT: Today, I asked The White House why the president is convinced that Putin actually wants to come to the table.
What indications is the president getting from Putin that he wants to have this meeting with Zelenskyy soon?
KAROLINE LEAVITT: Because he spoke to him directly yesterday.
SCOTT: Reporters then pressing about that phone call.
REPORTER: Did he agree to have a sitdown with just Zelenskyy on the phone?
LEAVITT: I can assure you that the United States government and the Trump administration is working with Russia and Ukraine to make that bilateral happen as we speak.
SCOTT: Asking once again --
REPORTER: Did Putin promise to do a meeting with Zelenskyy, a direct meeting, in the coming weeks?
LEAVITT: He has.
SCOTT: But tonight, Russia is not saying as much, and though President Trump wants a meeting soon, right now, there's no indication of when or even if it will happen. And right now, there is so much riding on President Trump's relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin. European leaders want Trump to pressure Putin to agree to a cease-fire, but that is not something that the Russian leader wants. And so tonight, the fighting continues, Mary.
BRUCE: As you note, so much of this relationship coming down to Trump’s relationship with Putin. Rachel, thank you.
The report was framed and introduced as being about a potential Russia-Ukraine bilateral meeting, convened at the behest of President Trump. But the end of the report betrays its true purpose as a vehicle for innuendo on their “relationship”.
And, really, this is little more than another way to subtly keep alive the debunked Russia Hoax. “Relationship” here serves as little more than media code for “Trump is under Putin’s influence”, or something to that effect.
This is why an otherwise cleanish report closed out with cheap innuendo. The Russia Hoax may be in tatters, but the media will do their level best to keep it alive.
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned segment as aired on ABC World News Tonight on Tuesday, August 19th, 2025:
MARY BRUCE: Next tonight, 24 hours after that extraordinary White House summit involving Ukraine's president Zelenskyy and European allies, President Trump is now vowing when it comes to guaranteeing Ukraine’s security, there will be no American troops on the ground. As Russian forces hammer away at Ukrainian targets, The White House today pressed on whether President Putin has agreed to meet with Zelenskyy. ABC's Rachel Scott at The White House.
RACHEL SCOTT: Tonight, President Trump says any effort to protect a possible peace deal between Russia and Ukraine will not involve American boots on the ground. It comes after he promised Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy the U.S. Would provide security guarantees in case Russia invades again.
REPORTER: Would that involve U.S. troops? Would you rule that out in the future?
DONALD TRUMP: We'll let you know that, maybe later today. When it comes to security, there's going to be a lot of help. It's going to be good. They are- first line of defense, because they're there, they're Europe. But we're going to help them out also, we'll be involved.
SCOTT: Today, President Trump saying the U.S. could help with air support in the skies, but ruled out the idea of American troops on the ground.
FOX NEWS: What kind of assurances do you feel like you have that -- going forward, and, you know, past this Trump administration, it won't be American boots on the ground defending that border?
TRUMP: Well, you have my assurance, and I'm president.
SCOTT: The president says he got Zelenskyy and Putin to agree to sit down one-on-one. A hot mic caught him telling French president Emmanuel Macron he thinks Putin wants to make a deal for him.
TRUMP: I think he wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand that? As crazy as it sounds.
SCOTT: The president says he wants the meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy to happen quickly. The White House insisting he doesn't want to wait another month. But Russia still hasn't confirmed Putin is on board. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointing to a lengthy process, saying any meeting, quote, “must be prepared with the utmost care. Step by step, gradually. Starting at the expert level and then moving onto all the necessary stages.” Meanwhile, Russia continues to pound Ukraine with a barrage of deadly drone attacks. Today, I asked The White House why the president is convinced that Putin actually wants to come to the table.
What indications is the president getting from Putin that he wants to have this meeting with Zelenskyy soon?
KAROLINE LEAVITT: Because he spoke to him directly yesterday.
SCOTT: Reporters then pressing about that phone call.
REPORTER: Did he agree to have a sitdown with just Zelenskyy on the phone?
LEAVITT: I can assure you that the United States government and the Trump administration is working with Russia and Ukraine to make that bilateral happen as we speak.
SCOTT: Asking once again --
REPORTER: Did Putin promise to do a meeting withZzelenskyy, a direct meeting, in the coming weeks?
LEAVITT: He has.
SCOTT: But tonight, Russia is not saying as much, and though President Trump wants a meeting soon, right now, there's no indication of when or even if it will happen. And right now, there is so much riding on President Trump's relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin. European leaders want Trump to pressure Putin to agree to a cease-fire, but that is not something that the Russian leader wants. And so tonight, the fighting continues, Mary.
BRUCE: As you note, so much of this relationship coming down to Trump’s relationship with Putin. Rachel, thank you.
