WASHINGTON, USA — During an Oval Office press briefing on February 13, 2025, President Donald Trump clashed with CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins.
The president dismissed her questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine while criticizing the network’s credibility.
The tense exchange came as Trump addressed his recent discussions with Putin, confirming that the two leaders had agreed to hold talks aimed at ending the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
When asked whether he believed Putin wanted peace, Trump responded affirmatively but suggested the war could have been avoided entirely under different leadership.
Clash Over Trust in Putin
Collins pressed further, asking, “Do you trust President Putin?” Trump, appearing frustrated, cut her off mid-question and accused her of being a supporter of President Joe Biden, whom he blamed for the conflict.
“I believe that, uh yeah, I believe that he would like to see something happen. I trust him on the subject. I think he’d like to see something happen. I think it could have happened a long time ago,” Trump said, before reiterating his long-standing criticism of Biden.
“I think Biden… number one, it shouldn’t have started, but it did. And now all those cities are knocked down like demolition sites,” he continued, describing war-torn Ukrainian cities as “crumpled up concrete” and “ashes.”
Collins attempted to interject, asking, “But couldn’t Putin just withdraw his…” but was cut off once more as Trump pivoted to a direct jab at CNN.
“He’s a friend of CNN, and that’s why nobody watches CNN anymore because they have no credibility,” Trump said, prompting laughter from some reporters in the room.
Focus on Peace Talks
While the exchange between Trump and Collins dominated headlines, the president also confirmed that discussions between U.S. and Russian officials were underway regarding a possible resolution to the war. However, details of the negotiations remain unclear.
The White House has yet to provide specifics on the format or timeline of any upcoming peace talks, but Trump has repeatedly suggested that a deal could have been reached much earlier if not for what he describes as Biden’s “weak leadership.”
Trump’s comments mark a continuation of his often-controversial stance on the conflict.
He has previously asserted that he could “end the war in 24 hours” if re-elected, though he has offered few details on how such a resolution would be achieved.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have reiterated that any diplomatic agreement must respect their territorial sovereignty, while the Biden administration has maintained that Russia must bear responsibility for initiating the war.
With Trump and Putin now moving toward formal talks, attention will turn to whether these discussions yield any tangible progress in ending one of Europe’s most devastating conflicts in recent history.
