previous president Donald Trump He blamed the US for “forcing” the Russian president Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine.
Trump’s comments came as Russia continued to stall Struggle A “special military operation” ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin more than seven months ago on February 24, 2022. was critical how the boss Joe Biden, who might run against him in the 2024 presidential election, has dealt with diplomatic relations with Russia. But critics accuse Trump of taking sides seen as favorable to Putin.
During an interview with Real America’s Voice, a right-wing network favorable to Trump, the former president criticized the Biden administration. He said their “rhetoric” in the months leading up to the invasion of Ukraine contributed to Putin’s decision.
“They actually mocked him, if you really look at him. Our country, our so-called leadership, they mocked Putin. I said, you know, they almost force him to share what they say. The speech was very stupid.”
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He claimed, without evidence, that an invasion of Ukraine would “never happen” if he was still president. Nor did he provide any specific examples of how the United States “mocked” Putin and pushed him to invade Ukraine.
Trump has also touted his working relationship with both Putin and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky When Real America presenter Wayne Root suggested that Biden might send Trump to negotiate a peace deal.
“I got on really well with both Zelensky and Putin,” Trump said. “If you remember, Zelensky was very nice because when they asked him about the Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine hoax – that was a phone call – he looked at them and said ‘What’s wrong with the call? He did nothing wrong. “
William Pomeranz, director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, questioned Trump’s comments in an interview with NEWSWEEKNoting that Biden said Ukraine would need to work on its corruption in order to join NATO (NATOBut this Putin’s justification for the invasion has nothing to do with NATO.
“It’s something Putin has been thinking about for many years,” he said. “I think Putin basically launched this campaign to annex what were two territories – but now four – to expand the Russian Federation. I think that was an example of imperial intentions. He wanted to expand his territory and the Russian Empire.”
He said he would never know if the invasion would take place if Trump won the 2020 election but he doesn’t think Trump would have taken Ukraine’s side.
“Did Trump think he had such a great relationship that he could freak him out, I just don’t think so,” he said.
Trump faced criticism for comments on the previous Russia-Ukraine war
Trump has faced criticism for several comments about the Russia-Ukraine war. In the days before the conflict, Trump said Putin was a “genius” in moving troops into Ukraine.
“This is the man who says, you know, ‘I will declare the independence of a large part of Ukraine.’ He used the word ‘independent,’ and we will go out and we will go in and we will help keep the peace. Trump said Clay Travis and Buck Sexton in February.
In March, he renewed the controversy again after his appearance Pushing Putin to release any information has around Hunter BidenAlleged business dealings in Russia during a conversation on Real America’s Voice about the Biden Company being accused of receiving $3.5 million from the widow of a former Moscow mayor.
“She gave him three and a half million dollars. So now I think Putin will know the answer to that. I think he should issue it. I think we should know the answer,” he said.
NEWSWEEK I reached out to the Trump office and the White House for comment.