Sources say Trump begging Russia to make nice as punishing midterms loom

U.S. President Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025 (REUTERS)

Sources tell MS NOW that President Donald Trump appears to be trying a less blowhard tactic for dealing with Russia as the U.S. enters the 70-day stretch before the November midterms.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is making an already difficult midterm race for Trump and Republicans even harder by escalating his war with Ukraine and making Trump look weak. Putin is also supplying weapons to Iran to help the Iranian military kill U.S. soldiers in Trump’s unilateral war on that nation. And Russia is threatening to ratchet up tension with NATO nations.

Trump is known for fiery threats and speeches against his perceived enemies, but CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on Tuesday to pursue a more quiet tack. Sources told MS NOW that he urged Russian officials to do three things: not attack NATO countries, end his invasion of Ukraine and stop sending military weapons and aid to Iran, two sources familiar with the matter told MS NOW.

“The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about sensitive national security issues, said the meeting was primarily about the war in Ukraine. But they said the U.S. war with Iran was also discussed,” reports MS NOW. “One of the sources said Ratcliffe told Russian officials that the United States remains committed to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an attack on one member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be considered an attack on all.

But those same sources say Ratcliffe had to settle for delivering his low-key appeal to senior Russian intelligence officials, not with Russian President Vladimir Putin — who ducked the meeting.

Trump may be desperately raging against the inevitable as midterms wind down. Republicans have previously expressed extreme nervousness about their prospects in the 2026 midterm elections. From President Donald Trump's unpopular tariffs and lack of coordination with local candidates to the uncontested failure of his invasion of Iran, the prevailing view is that Trump is so unpopular and difficult to work with, it might hurt Republicans who are already struggling politically due to the poor economy.

Meanwhile, Trump is possibly catching on that Iran leaders are saving their most devastating attack for Trump’s midterm by dialing up the cost of U.S. fuel and food prices with their inextricable hold on several Middle East oil and fertilizer bottlenecks.

“And the reason for that is because [Iran leaders] believe in their head now that they have something of an upper hand here,” retired Gen. Jack Keane told Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney. “I think as we get closer to the midterms, it’s likely they will.”

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