Trump says Putin told him about invading Ukraine
Putin told Trump about invading Ukraine (kremlin.ru)
Former US President Donald Trump asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had long wanted to invade Ukraine, but this was allegedly prevented during Trump's time in office due to his personal stance, citing The Telegraph.
Speaking at a town hall event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Trump told supporters that an invasion of Ukraine would not have occurred if he were still president.
"I get along very well with Putin," Trump said, addressing a crowd of supporters, many wearing "Make America Great Again" hats. Commenting on Putin's decision to invade, Trump claimed, "It was the apple of his eye he used to talk about it, but I said 'you’re not going in.'"
Trump also highlighted his positive relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged to end the war in Eastern Europe before being elected president again.
"Biden has done nothing about it - he hasn’t even spoken to Putin in over a year," Trump remarked. "This is a war that has to end and I’m going to get that war ended...I’m going to try to get that war ended as president elect."
He added, "I want people to stop dying, that’s all."
These statements follow revelations from excerpts of journalist Bob Woodward’s upcoming book "War," which suggest Trump had multiple conversations with Putin after leaving office. One such conversation may have taken place in early 2024 when Trump reportedly asked an aide to leave his office at Mar-a-Lago to hold a private call with Putin. The book does not disclose what was discussed during these interactions.
In recent days, Vice President Kamala Harris and her supporters have used the details of these conversations to criticize the Republican candidate.
