Image: from Julia Davis X @JuliaDavisNews
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
MOSCOW — In a striking display of diplomatic dissonance, Russian state-controlled media has ramped up its ridicule of the Trump administration, even as top U.S. officials like Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard work to de-escalate tensions with the Kremlin.
The shift in tone from Moscow’s propaganda machine, which previously celebrated the 2024 election results, signals a tactical pivot. While the White House continues to push for a peace settlement in Ukraine and “maximum pressure” on other fronts, Russian state television has begun portraying the U.S. leadership as chaotic and subservient.
“Our Tulsi” No More?
For months, DNI Tulsi Gabbard was a darling of Russian talk shows, frequently cited for her past criticisms of NATO and her skepticism of the “Deep State.” However, that honeymoon phase appears to be ending. This week, prime-time hosts on Rossiya 1 and Channel One have shifted from praising her “realism” to mocking her position as a symptom of American decline.
The ridicule reached a fever pitch following reports that Gabbard had assigned U.S. intelligence agents to monitor developments in Greenland, a move linked to President Trump’s renewed interest in the island’s strategic value. Russian pundits laughed off the “Greenland Crisis,” characterizing American foreign policy as a “reality TV script” rather than serious statecraft.
Russian State TV: “Let’s give Trump a Nobel Prize from us… our Trumpushka is being mistreated… you’re wrong not to love our Trump… 🇺🇸 is moving away from its fundamental principles…”
They praise him for getting Kimmel fired, sending the military to our cities, etc— rooting… pic.twitter.com/citPtYNyyx
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) September 22, 2025
Putin’s Strategic Distance
The Kremlin’s dismissive tone coincides with a hardening of President Vladimir Putin’s own rhetoric. Despite President Trump’s public assertions that he can end the Ukraine war “in 24 hours,” Moscow has repeatedly signaled that it will not be hurried into a deal that doesn’t meet all its territorial demands.
State media analysts have taken to calling the Trump administration’s peace overtures “clumsy” and “amateurish.” By mocking the U.S. president and his intelligence chief, the Kremlin appears to be signaling to its domestic audience that Russia remains the dominant party in the relationship, unaffected by Washington’s diplomatic “charms.”
“Trump is doing so well, so well, I really like it.”
Russian State TV hosts mocks Trump for changing the Department of Defense to “Department of War”, laughing that “it will cost several billion dollars”
(H/T @JuliaDavisNews) pic.twitter.com/n9lfX9BsvF
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) September 8, 2025
A Hybrid War of Narratives
The mockery also serves a deeper purpose in the ongoing hybrid war. By belittling officials who are seen as friendly to Russia, the Kremlin complicates the political landscape for them in Washington. Gabbard, who recently dismissed Reuters reports of Putin’s intent to seize all of Ukraine as “warmongering propaganda,” now finds herself being ridiculed by the very state media her critics accuse her of echoing.
“It is a classic KGB-style play,” noted one Eastern European security analyst. “They build you up when you’re useful, and they tear you down to prove their independence the moment you’re in power. It ensures that no matter what the Trump administration does, the Kremlin keeps the upper hand in the narrative.”
The View from Washington
The White House has not officially responded to the barbs from Moscow. However, sources close to the DNI suggest that Gabbard remains focused on “the mission of peace” rather than the “chatter of state-sponsored media.”
As peace talks in Geneva remain stalled and the “Greenland Crisis” continues to baffle European allies, the mockery from Moscow serves as a stark reminder that in the world of high-stakes geopolitics, yesterday’s “asset” can easily become today’s punchline.