Putin and Trump’s Connections: Onstage and Behind the Scenes
Part 2: “I got along with Putin.”
Foreign Policy Brief #152 | By: Yelena Korshunov | August 09, 2024
Featured Photo: www.npr.org
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Best Buddies
On February 22, 2022, when Russian troops had already spread along Ukrainian border ready to start in preparation of thanattack, Donald Trump described Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as “genius” and “savvy,” praising him for a move that has provoked sanctions and universal condemnation from the U.S. government and its trans-Atlantic allies. “I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius.’ Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine — Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful,” Trump said in a radio interview with the conservative The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. “He used the word ‘independent’ and ‘we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.’ You gotta say that’s pretty savvy.”
When later Trump said he would end the war in Ukraine in one day, it sparked immediate concern of the Ukrainian government that Trump’s simplistic plan would involve the U.S. attempting to cede Ukrainian land to Russia. In September 2023 at an interview on Meet the Press, NBC’s journalist Kristen Welker asked Trump about his plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Emphasizing his positive relationship with Putin, Trump claimed that “there was nobody tougher than me on Russia…I got along with Putin. Let me tell you, I got along with him really well. And that’s a good thing, not a bad thing,” Trump said. “He’s got 1,700 nuclear missiles. And so do we. But, look, that’s a good thing. Getting along is OK. But I got along through strength.”
In January 2024, giving an interview on FOX news, Trump said that it’s worth getting along with leaders of countries that have nuclear weapons. He recalled his good relationship with Putin and noted that if Hillary Clinton had become president in 2016, a nuclear war would have already begun. “You know, it’s good to get along with people like Putin… I had negotiations with Chairman Xi, I have excellent relations with them. If Hillary Clinton had won, you would have had a nuclear war with North Korea, Kim Jong Un. I got along with him too,” Trump said.
This year, on February 10th, CNN reported that Trump said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to any NATO member country that doesn’t meet spending guidelines on defense. “NATO was busted until I came along,” Trump stated at a rally in Conway, South Carolina. “I said, ‘Everybody’s gonna pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.” Trump said that “one of the presidents of a big country” at one point asked him whether the U.S. would still defend the country if they were invaded by Russia while they “don’t pay.” “No, I would not protect you,” Trump recalled telling that president. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
Russia’s Reaction to the Attempted Assassination of Trump
The recent assassination attempt on Trump was followed by an immediate reaction by Russia’s officials. According to the RBC (Russia’s TV news channel) the Kremlin linked the assassination attempt to the political atmosphere in the United States. The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov commented on TV that “the style of work of the US presidential administration is to resolve issues by force without seeking compromises, including in world affairs. We are talking about economic pressure through sanctions, political pressure, or the use of coercive methods, military force, but now the violence has actually been transferred inside the United States.”
According to Peskov, “the threat to Trump’s life was obvious to everyone after many attempts to eliminate him as a candidate from the political arena through legal means. “
Trump’s Peace Plan Supports Putin and Disregards NATO
A day after officially accepting the Republican nomination for president, Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced they conversed by phone, as the U.S. presidential race hangs over the future of the war in Ukraine. According to both sides, this conversation was more traditionally diplomatic, with Zelenskyy congratulating Trump on officially becoming the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. Zelensky stated that he also emphasized the importance of the US support for Ukraine amid a third year of Russia’s invasion and added that he and Trump agreed “to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting.”
Trump has pledged to swiftly end the war in Ukraine if reelected in November, going so far as to state he would negotiate peace before he assumes office in January, and has disparagingly called Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman of all time” for his efforts to secure billions of dollars in military, economic and humanitarian aid from Washington. Later, Trump said in a social media post that he will “end the war” and that “both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence.” However, Trump did not elaborate on the terms he would accept.
Vladimir Putin doesn’t make a secret out of his attempt to rebuild the former Soviet Union by forcefully returning its 15 ex-republics under his governess. Russia’s politicians persistently speak about Finland and Poland that once were a part of the “great Russian Imperia”. Considering Donald Trump’s steady avoidance of discussing the terms of peace and his personal relation with Russia’s president, could his peace plan involve handing away Ukrainian territories? If so, would this not increase Russia’s revanchist appetite for other sovereign countries’ lands?
This is Part 2 of a running series on Putin and Trump’s connections. For Part 1, please click here.
Engagement Resources
- Trump ‘compromising’ claims: How and why did we get here? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38589427
- Trump calls Putin ‘genius’ and ‘savvy’ for Ukraine invasion, https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/23/trump-putin-ukraine-invasion-00010923
- Trump says he would encourage Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ to any NATO country that doesn’t pay enough, https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/10/politics/trump-russia-nato/index.html
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