'Cannot be toyed with': In rare praise, Trump calls Xi, Vladimir Putin 'serious, smart, tough leaders

In an interview with CBS news, Trump praised both Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin for being "smart, tough, serious" leaders.

Published on: Nov 3, 2025, 12:37:06 IST

By HT News Desk

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US President Donald Trump came out in rare praise of his Chinese and Russian counterparts on Sunday. In an interview with CBS news, Trump praised both Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin for being "smart, tough, serious" leaders.

The US president drew no distinction between China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin, calling them both equally tough. (AP/Reuters)

During his interview with CBS, which was the first since the lawsuit against Paramount, Trump was asked which leader was tougher to deal with - Putin or Xi.

Also Read | Trump warns of ‘consequences’ if China invades Taiwan: ‘You’ll find out…'

In his response, the US president drew no distinction between the two, calling them both equally tough.

"Both tough. Both smart. They're both very strong leaders. These are people not to be toyed with. These are people you have to take very seriously. 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," said Trump.

Trump on ‘good relations’ with China amid trade row

Diving deeper into his meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea, the US President told CBS news that he got along well with his Chinese counterpart.

"We get along great, and we always really have. He is a powerful man, a strong man and a very powerful leader," he added.

Trump also addressed how his tariffs have rattled global markets.

"It was a hurt because I was taking in a lot of money from China. We were doing very well against China. And all of a sudden, they said, we have to fight back. Their power is rare earth, something they have been accumulating for 25-30 years," he said.

While China and the US were engaged in an escalating trade row with tariffs crossing the 100 percent mark. However, following their meeting in Busan, Trump announced plans to cut tariffs on Chinese goods by 10 percent.

Trump pushes for Ukraine ceasefire

Meanwhile, for Vladimir Putin, Trump has always claimed that the Russian president "will listen to him," especially as the Republican leader plans to end the Ukraine war.

Also Read | Trump's tariff threat not working with Putin? US president 'has another card'

Trump has claimed that the Ukraine war would have never started had he been re-elected in 2020. In the CBS interview as well, Trump blamed his predecessor Joe Biden for the war and stated that he "inherited the stupid war from him".

The US president further stated that while he used tariffs to end global conflicts, with Russia, he had to impose sanctions. While revealing this move, Trump further praised Putin for being a “great leader” and wanting to “make a whole lotta money” in Russia.

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HT News Desk
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