Russian President Vladimir Putin has implied that the Ukraine war might not have occurred had Donald Trump been in office at the time of its escalation. Speaking to state television, Putin remarked:
“I cannot but agree with him that if he had been president – if his victory hadn’t been stolen in 2020 – then maybe there would not have been the crisis in Ukraine that emerged in 2022.”
The comment aligns with recent statements by Trump, who posted on Truth Social that the war would have never started under his leadership. Trump also declared his intent to end the conflict swiftly if elected, either through negotiation or imposing “the hard way” with high tariffs and additional sanctions on Russia.
“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with!” Trump stated, adding that his approach to settle the war would also serve as a “very big favor” to Russia.
The Kremlin, however, dismissed Trump’s sanctions rhetoric as nothing new. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia remains open to dialogue but has yet to receive any signals from Washington.
Despite Putin’s claims of willingness to negotiate, he continues to insist Ukraine accept Russian territorial gains, which amount to about 20% of its land, and renounce aspirations to join NATO.
The conflict, which escalated into a full-scale invasion in February 2022, traces its origins back to 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatist movements in eastern Ukraine.
