US President Donald Trump is showing a notably favorable attitude toward Russian leader Vladimir Putin, a stance the Italian newspaper Il Giornale links to Trump’s long-standing connections with Russian oligarchs.

According to the publication, one of the key reasons behind Trump’s apparent tilt toward Moscow lies in the benefits he allegedly received as far back as the 1990s. The newspaper points to what it describes as a series of questionable advantages provided to Trump by Russian oligarchs closely associated with Putin, arguing that these ties have had a lasting influence.

The authors also suggest that Putin may possess compromising material on the US president. In their assessment, the undisclosed information allegedly kept by the Russian leader could be more damaging to Trump than even the widely publicized case involving financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Putin and Trump held a new phone conversation the previous day. White House press secretary Karolin Levitt said the discussion focused on the situation around Ukraine and took place in a positive atmosphere. The call marked the tenth such exchange between the two leaders since the beginning of 2025.