Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade clashed with Rachel Campos-Duffy over President Donald Trump’s dealings with Russia on Sunday, comparing Vladimir Putin to Hitler and warning that closer cooperation with Moscow would be the administration’s “biggest mistake.”
The heated exchange on “Fox & Friends Weekend” exposed a sharp disagreement over Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine. Campos-Duffy defended the president’s pressure on Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, while Kilmeade insisted that Putin was responsible for the conflict and defended Ukraine’s efforts to fight back.
The confrontation followed Trump’s announcement Friday of a deal for Russia to supply diesel to U.S. and global markets, accompanied by a temporary easing of U.S. sanctions. Trump also suggested Saturday that Ukraine should replace Zelenskyy, citing his continued attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
“He’s dependent on us, and the president said, ‘Don’t do this,’” Campos-Duffy told Kilmeade. “Are you for America or for Ukraine?”
Kilmeade pushed back, arguing that Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries were targeting the Russian energy infrastructure that helps finance Moscow’s war.
“Can you blame him?” he asked. “That’s the war machine that’s killing his people, that bombs apartment buildings.”
Campos-Duffy also challenged Kilmeade’s praise for Ukraine’s use of drones against Russian targets, arguing that young soldiers were being used as “guinea pigs” in the conflict.
“Rachel, these are in response to attacks,” Kilmeade replied. When Campos-Duffy said Trump wanted peace in Ukraine, Kilmeade shot back: “Tell Vladimir Putin.”
The disagreement reached its peak when Campos-Duffy argued that Trump’s cooperation with Russia could help bring about peace, while accusing Zelenskyy of arrogance.
“It would be the biggest mistake of his administration to work with Russia,” Kilmeade responded. “That is the modern Hitler of our generation. He is the cause of all the problems in the region.”
Kilmeade also accused Russia of helping Iran attack American forces and, alongside China, supplying drones to Houthi militants.
The diesel agreement has drawn bipartisan criticism from lawmakers who argue that easing restrictions on Russian energy imports could provide Moscow with additional revenue to finance its war against Ukraine.
