Trump’s Claims of Preventing the War
Donald Trump stated his administration held “very serious” talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine. He suggested he and Vladimir Putin might soon take “significant” steps toward ending the nearly three-year conflict. “We will be speaking and perhaps do something significant,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump insisted that the war wouldn’t have started if he were in office. However, fighting in eastern Ukraine had already intensified during his presidency, involving Kyiv’s forces and Moscow-backed separatists. Trump didn’t specify who in his administration was communicating with Russian officials. When asked if he had spoken directly with Putin, Trump responded, “I don’t want to say that.”
He has frequently repeated that his leadership would have prevented the war, even though the conflict escalated under his previous presidency. The fighting eventually led to Russia deploying tens of thousands of troops in 2022.
Criticism of Zelenskyy and US Aid to Ukraine
Since returning to the political spotlight, Trump has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He suggested Zelenskyy should have negotiated with Putin to avoid the conflict. In a January Fox News interview, Trump mocked Zelenskyy as “talking so brave” while being heavily dependent on US military aid. “They were brave, but we gave them billions of dollars,” Trump remarked.
The US currently supplies 40% of Ukraine’s military needs. Since February 2022, Washington has sent over $65 billion (€62 billion) to Kyiv. Trump has criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for allocating significant US taxpayer money to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Putin’s Praise for Trump
In an interview with Russian state television, Putin praised Trump, calling him “clever and pragmatic” and focused on US interests. “We always had a business-like, pragmatic, and trusting relationship,” Putin said.
Putin agreed with Trump’s claim that the Ukraine crisis could have been avoided if Trump had remained president. “If they hadn’t stolen victory from him in 2020, the crisis in 2022 wouldn’t have happened,” Putin added. His comments also supported Trump’s continued refusal to accept his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden.
Despite Trump’s claims of election fraud, federal and local officials, courts, and even his own attorney general have found no evidence of such fraud.
Trump’s Campaign and Ties to Russia
In his 2024 campaign, Trump claimed he could end the Ukraine war “within a day.” He criticized Biden’s administration for spending billions in aid to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.
Trump’s ties to Russia have been under scrutiny since his 2016 presidential campaign. At that time, he publicly asked Russia to locate and release Hillary Clinton’s missing emails. Trump later sided with Putin over US intelligence officials regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. He has often praised Putin, once calling him “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine.
