Trump Compares Putin and Xi Jinping: "These Are People Not To Be Toyed With"

President Trump recently shared his candid assessment of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a CBS interview. When questioned about which leader was more challenging to negotiate with, Trump expressed admiration for both world leaders.

During the conversation, Trump confirmed his intention to proceed with nuclear testing plans and reiterated his claim of resolving eight international conflicts during his administration.

In his interview with CBS' 60 Minutes, Trump stated, "Before the ninth month, I stopped eight wars. The only one I haven't been successful yet in, and that'll happen, is Russia Ukraine, which I thought actually would be the easiest one because I have a very good relationship with President Putin."

The former president emphasized that America's renewed international respect had facilitated his conflict resolution efforts, adding, "We are respected again as a country, and that's the way I've been able to stop the wars. I also stopped them because of trade."

When specifically asked to compare dealing with Putin versus Xi Jinping, Trump characterized both as formidable leaders: "Look, they're both very strong leaders. These are people not to be toyed with. These are people you have to take very serious. They're not walking in saying, 'Oh, isn't it a beautiful day? Look how beautiful. The sun is shining, it's so nice.' These are serious people. These are people that are tough, smart leaders."

Trump acknowledged that Russia and China possess substantial nuclear arsenals and claimed he had discussed denuclearization with both presidents: "I believe we need to do something about denuclearisation, and I have indeed discussed it with both President Putin and President Xi."

Regarding his plans for nuclear testing, Trump explained, "We need to see how it works. The reason I talk about tests is that Russia has announced its intention to test, North Korea tests constantly, and so do other countries. We are the only country that does not test."

When the interviewer noted that Moscow was only testing delivery systems rather than nuclear weapons themselves, Trump asserted that both Russia and China conduct such tests "but they are not talking about it."