Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are very good friends, White House director says

The comments have worried Trump critics

The Russian President has been shunned by much of the West while his country has been hit with several restrictions and tariffs after Russia decided to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

But despite this - plus the many war crimes Russia has committed over the last three years - since Donald Trump became president of the United States again earlier this year, the US has made several moves favourable to the Russians.

Now, Gabbard has confirmed that the pair 'are very good friends' and are keen to 'strengthen' their relationship.

Putin and Trump are set to hold talks on Tuesday to discuss the war with Ukraine.

Gabbard told India's NDTV: "We have two leaders of two great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and shared interests."

Her remarks reflect the dramatic shift in US-Russia relations under Trump, who has boasted of his relationship with Putin, blamed Ukraine for Russia's invasion and publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In addition, Trump's administration, the US briefly suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine and has also suspended some offensive cyber operations against Russia. 

Gabbard who oversees the nation's intelligence services, has in the past echoed Russian propaganda and expressed sympathy for Putin's people.

Trump's critics were alarmed by Gabbard's comments. She went on to criticise the previous president, Joe Biden's administration.

She said: "Under the previous administration, there was no effort at all towards peace or direct dialogue with Putin to bring an end to this war. So, in a very short period of time, Trump has made much more progress towards peace than any other previous effort."