Keir Simmons: ‘It’s Fascinating’ We Haven’t Heard Anything from Putin on Trump/Zelenskyy Blowout

BRZEZINSKI: “As David mentioned, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state media Reporter that the Trump Administration’s rapid changes to U.S. foreign policy, quote, ‘largely coincides with our vision.’ Let’s bring in NBC News Chief International Correspondent Keir Simmons live from Moscow with reaction from Russia. Keir, what are you hearing?”
Simmons: “Well, Mika, one interesting aspect of all of this is that we haven’t heard from President Putin since Friday. Now, that is fascinating, because very likely he is watching and waiting. I’m told by a senior diplomat with knowledge of the talks that there aren’t plans right now for more bilateral talks between the U.S. and Russia. There’s not a date in the diary. Clearly, that could be put in the diary very, very quickly. I suspect President Putin is thinking that there is enormous opportunity here and also risk. He will know that we are on the precipice of a potential major crisis in Europe and in NATO. And at the same time, the Russians have been watching events in Europe, in the U.K. yesterday and over the weekend and commenting the Russian media and the Kremlin on that. So, for example, the Kremlin posting a picture of those European leaders and saying that here are the leaders who are organising opposition to Trump and Putin. So clearly trying to message to Washington that there should be an alliance between the Kremlin and the Trump Administration and that Europe is the problem. But also at the same time, the Kremlin warning Europe, threatening Europe really, against using those seized Russian assets to help Ukraine, saying there will be serious consequences. And I think that illuminates that there will be a concern in the Kremlin that a newly united Europe, more determined to send troops, for example, to Ukraine, actually does present some risks for the Kremlin. You know, President Trump described what happened on Friday as great television. Russian television agrees.”
BRZEZINSKI: “Yeah.”
Simmons: “Those scenes have been playing out on Russian TV all weekend. The interviews that you were playing at the top of the show from U.S. TV, those are being played here on Russian TV consistently. And where Keir Starmer, for example, talks yesterday about a coalition of the willing in Europe, it would have been noted in Russia that, of course, that suggests that there are those in Europe who are unwilling. So there are comments here in Russia, but not by the president himself, by those around him and by the media around him. And I think another piece of that to just note from last week is if you think about it from the Russian perspective, what they watched happen, they watched the vote in the U.N. where the U.S. refused to condemn Russia. Then just before that meeting on Friday, they watched as the Trump Administration extended sanctions against Russia and then that event in the Oval Office and all of the implications of that. So as much as this has been head spinning for all governments around the world, I think it is too for the Kremlin. And another interesting aspect of all this, there are signs from President Putin amid all of those events last week that he is urging his government, his intelligence operation to double down on particularly targeting Europe. So where the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to stop offensing cyber operations against Russia. On Thursday last week, President Putin held a meeting with the FSB, which was once of course the KGB, and he urged them to thwart any attempt to disrupt what he describes as the newly resumed dialogue between Russia and the U.S., urging them to significantly strengthen counterintelligence measures. So there are multi-layers here. There are many, many things happening at once. Another aspect of this, just to note, if the U.S. this week — and there are signs that this could happen — pulls support for Ukraine, that would significantly strengthen Russia’s hand. And I suppose you could say ironically, I think, makes it less likely that the Kremlin will look to a ceasefire or even a peace deal because it will think that that will give it opportunities on the battlefield.”