Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of manipulating President Trump, warning that the administration's recent moves on Ukraine—including restricted military aid, a controversial diesel import deal, and waiving sanctions—are a strategic blunder that will tarnish America's standing.
In a Monday interview with CNN, Tillis said Putin's justification for the invasion—claims of "de-Nazifying" Ukraine—is a lie, and that Trump's engagement with Moscow is playing into the Kremlin's hands. "Russians are lying. Putin is lying. Putin is playing President Trump like a fiddle. And history is not going to look good on an America that failed to rise up and defend the Western world if Putin actually gets his way," Tillis said.
The North Carolina Republican also dismissed Putin's proposal for a trilateral summit with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping as "absurd," arguing that both leaders seek to undermine the international order. "I believe that a summit with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, two countries who want to overwhelm the world, is absurd," he said.
Tillis's comments come as Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, told lawmakers that Kyiv's access to Starshield—the military version of SpaceX's Starlink—and U.S. intelligence has been degraded, despite official denials. Tillis said he wants to investigate whether senior Pentagon officials ordered or knew about restrictions on Ukraine's battlefield communications. He and three other GOP senators—John Cornyn (Texas), Susan Collins (Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)—signed a letter last week requesting an inspector general probe into the matter.
Zelensky also reported that Ukraine's data speeds on Starshield have not been fully restored, and that acquiring Patriot missile interceptors from third-party countries is becoming more difficult. "President Zelensky also mentioned that a part of what they want are simply Patriot missiles that are coming from third party countries that are prepared to provide it," Tillis said, adding that he wants to know "who in the government is saying no to those transfers. This is not even taking it from our inventories."
The criticism extends beyond Tillis. The Wall Street Journal ran an editorial Sunday declaring that "Mr. Trump is now Mr. Putin's best friend in the world, after perhaps China's Xi Jinping." Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) shared the piece on X, writing that "Reagan and Lindsey would be ashamed of this," a reference to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who championed tough Russia sanctions that Congress passed last month—sanctions Trump waived on Friday.
Several GOP senators have also denounced Trump's decision to allow the import of millions of tons of Russian diesel, warning it undercuts U.S. credibility with allies while doing little to lower domestic fuel prices. The move is part of a broader pattern that critics say signals a retreat from Ukraine as Trump's approval ratings slump heading into the midterms.
Tillis's remarks underscore growing unease among Republicans over the administration's approach to Moscow. He stressed that the U.S. must not abandon Ukraine, echoing concerns raised by other lawmakers in recent weeks. As Zelensky escalates pressure on Trump over concessions, the political fallout over Russia policy is likely to intensify.
