Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, recently asserted that Donald Trump’s victory in the 2020 U.S. presidential election would have prevented the current crisis in Ukraine. Putin repeated Trump’s claim that his election victory was “stolen,” implying that this purported theft fueled the situation that intensified in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine in full, in an interview with a Russian television network.
Putin said, “I can’t help but agree with him that if his victory had not been stolen in 2020, then maybe the crisis in Ukraine would not have happened,” suggesting that he may have achieved different diplomatic results under Trump’s leadership. He expressed a positive opinion of Trump’s foreign policy strategy by calling him a “pragmatic” and “smart” leader.
Both leaders have stated that they are open to negotiating a settlement to end the dispute. Trump has repeatedly stated that he could bring the war to a quick conclusion and that he would meet with Putin right away if given the opportunity. He has also emphasized the importance of diplomacy because of the continued fatalities on the battlefield. Putin, meanwhile, reaffirmed Russia’s openness to talks, saying, “We are ready for talks on the Ukrainian
Trump’s recent comments at the World Economic Forum, in which he implied that lowering oil prices could aid in ending the conflict, provide context for these claims. Putin, however, rejected this idea, claiming that changes in oil prices would have a detrimental effect on both economies.
Given that both presidents appear to be indicating an openness to communication despite the current tensions, Putin’s remarks reveal a complicated interaction of political narratives surrounding the Ukraine conflict and the U.S. electoral process.
