Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine might have been avoided if Donald Trump had been the U.S. president in 2020.
Speaking during an interview on Russian state television, Putin called Trump a “smart” and “pragmatic” leader, claiming his presidency could have changed the trajectory of events leading to the crisis.
Putin reiterated Russia’s willingness to engage in talks with the United States regarding Ukraine, although no timeline for such discussions was mentioned. The Kremlin noted that it is awaiting signals from Washington, despite Trump’s statement earlier this week that he would meet Putin “immediately.”
“We have always said, and I want to note this again, that we are ready for these negotiations on Ukrainian issues,” Putin said. He went on to echo Trump’s assertion that the 2020 U.S. election was stolen, adding, “If he had been president—if his victory hadn’t been stolen—then maybe there would not have been the crisis in Ukraine that emerged in 2022.”
The war in Ukraine, now approaching its third year, has severely strained relations between Russia and the West, plunging them to levels not seen since the Cold War. While Trump recently criticized the war as “ridiculous,” he also threatened tougher economic measures against Russia unless the conflict ends swiftly.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump declared, “If they don’t settle this war soon, like almost immediately, I’m going to put massive tariffs on Russia, and massive taxes, and also big sanctions.” At the World Economic Forum in Davos, he proposed that lowering global oil prices could pressure Russia to end the war, stating, “If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately.”
Putin, however, dismissed Trump’s oil-price solution, remarking, “I have a hard time imagining there will be decisions taken that are detrimental to the American economy.”
Meanwhile, hostilities between Russia and Ukraine continue unabated. Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv killed three people and injured several others on Friday, according to Ukrainian officials. The attacks reportedly targeted residential areas and energy infrastructure. Ukrainian forces also launched drone strikes on Russian facilities, hitting an oil refinery, a power station, and a microelectronics factory.
Ukrainian officials have pushed back against being excluded from any potential negotiations. Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said, “He (Putin) wants to negotiate the fate of Europe—without Europe. And he wants to talk about Ukraine without Ukraine. This is not going to happen.”
