Russian President Vladimir Putin prayed for Donald Trump’s safety after assassination attempt, says Steve Witkoff

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that he rushed to his local church to pray for then former US President Donald Trump’s safety after the assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July. The revelation came from special envoy Steve Witkoff, who recently met with Putin during peace talks in Moscow.

“[Putin] told me a story, Tucker, about how when the president was shot, he went to his local church and met with his priest and prayed for the president,” Witkoff told Tucker Carlson in an interview posted on Friday.

According to Witkoff, Putin insisted his prayers were not politically motivated. “Not because he could become the president of the United States, but because he has a friendship with him and he was praying for his friend,” he added.

Trump’s close call

Trump survived the July attack by a fraction of an inch, narrowly escaping death when the bullet grazed his right ear. The alleged shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was neutralized at the scene.

Putin’s gift to Trump

As a further sign of goodwill, Putin presented Witkoff with a custom-made portrait of Trump by a leading Russian artist to deliver to the President.

“President Putin had commissioned a beautiful portrait of President Trump, from the leading Russian artist, and actually gave it to me and asked me to take it home to President Trump,” Witkoff said.

According to Witkoff, Trump “was clearly touched by it” when he was briefed on Putin’s gesture.

Ceasefire talks and strategic disagreements

The meeting between Witkoff and Putin was part of an ongoing effort to broker peace in Ukraine. Earlier this week, Putin and Trump spoke over the phone, but Russia ultimately not rejected the US-proposed 30-day ceasefire agreement, which Ukraine had accepted.

Instead, the Kremlin agreed to a more limited pause, restricting attacks on “energy and infrastructure” for 30 days. Moscow also reportedly demanded that the US cease military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, though Trump publicly denied making any such concessions.

Ukraine’s response

Despite initial reluctance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to Russia’s scaled-down ceasefire but warned that the conflict remains unresolved. “Nothing has changed,” he stated, shortly after Russia launched a large-scale drone attack on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Thursday.

Ongoing diplomatic challenges

While Putin’s actions towards Trump suggest an attempt at diplomatic outreach, tensions between Russia, Ukraine, and the US remain high. The evolving situation indicates that while gestures of friendship exist between Trump and Putin, strategic interests continue to drive the broader geopolitical landscape.