In a recent exclusive interview with Fox News, former President Donald Trump claimed a conversation he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin staved off a potential invasion of Ukraine for several years.
The claim was made during the Monday interview on Fox News’ “Special Report” with anchor Bret Baier.
The former president spoke highly of his “very good relationship” with Putin, saying, “With Putin, I have a very good relationship. I mean, I haven’t spoken to him in a long while, but I had a very strong relationship.”
Trump confidently stated that Putin would not have moved to invade Ukraine had he still been in office. “He wouldn’t have done it if it were me. He did it after I left.”
Trump highlighted how he warned Putin against taking invasive actions. He recalled: “I said, ‘If you do it, there’s going to be hell to pay. It’s going to be a catastrophe. Don’t do it.’”
Trump asserted that Putin initially expressed doubt that Trump would respond to an incursion into Ukraine. The former president reportedly warned, “I will, Vladimir, I will do it. I’m going to do it.”
The former president and current frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination suggested that Putin only believed a small fraction of what he was saying. However, Trump said believing only 10% dissuaded Putin from an invasion while he was in office.
Placing blame for the invasion on President Joe Biden, Trump added: “It was only after I left [office] that you started hearing about this.”
During the interview, Trump refrained from commenting on the possible outcome of current negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, stating that any comments could “impede a negotiation.”
Though the historical and political dynamics in the Ukraine-western Russian region are complex, Trump asserted that his experience in deal-making could potentially lead to a resolution of the conflict “within 24 hours.”
Doubling down on the bold claim, Trump remarked, “I’m telling you, within 24 hours – that’s what I did. I became very rich by doing deals. Very rich. And you know what? Much more so than people even understand. And that’s what I do.”Advertisements
Trump added:
“I would have a deal done in 24 hours from the time we started. And I would tell Zelenskyy something and I would tell Putin something, and I’d get him into a room, and I’d tell him again, and again.”
“I would have a deal done very quickly. And you know what? The death would stop, and the destruction would stop because, look, Ukraine has been wiped out.”