Ukraine War Could Have Been Prevented if Trump Had Won 2020 Election, Putin seems to agree with Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that the ongoing war in Ukraine could have been avoided if Donald Trump had won the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
Speaking to Russian state media on Friday, Putin said the conflict, which escalated in February 2022 with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, would likely not have happened under a Trump administration.
“I can’t help but agree with him that if his victory had not been stolen in 2020, perhaps there wouldn’t have been the crisis in Ukraine that arose in 2022,” Putin said, echoing Trump's persistent claims that the election was "stolen" from him.
Trump has previously asserted that, if he were in office, he could have ended the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. Putin praised Trump, calling him not only "a smart person" but also a "pragmatic person."
The Russian president indicated that Russia was ready to engage in peace negotiations with the involvement of the U.S., and suggested that decisions detrimental to the American economy were unlikely under Trump's leadership. “We have always said that we are ready for negotiations on Ukrainian issues,” Putin said.
His comments came shortly after the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the ongoing supply of Western arms to Ukraine, accusing the Ukrainian government of being "illegitimate" and stating that no practical steps toward peace were being taken by Kyiv or the West.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office rejected the idea of peace talks between Putin and Trump without European involvement. Zelenskyy also accused Putin of attempting to manipulate Trump to serve Russia's interests, adding that the Ukrainian leadership remains firm in its stance.
“The issue of Russia’s military potential and Putin’s readiness to continue the war and manipulate the leaders of the world was discussed today,” Zelenskyy said. “I am confident that no Russian manipulations will succeed anymore.” During his campaign, Trump had often claimed he could negotiate a swift end to the war, asserting that Russia would back down if he were president.
He reiterated his belief this week, stating that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had expressed interest in striking a deal, and suggested that Putin was also inclined to find a resolution. Trump’s remarks on the potential for peace talks have been met with skepticism, with many questioning how feasible such a negotiation would be given the current state of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Putin's willingness to meet with Trump indicates a continuing interest in dialogue, though any meaningful steps toward peace remain uncertain. As the war in Ukraine persists, global leaders continue to grapple with the complex dynamics of the conflict, with both the U.S. and Russia seemingly open to discussions—though the path to peace remains unclear.
🚨🔥MASSIVE BREAKING: Putin says the Ukraine war NEVER would have started if the 2020 election wasn’t STOLEN from Trump.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 24, 2025
“If the victory wasn't stolen from him in 2020, maybe the Ukrainian crisis that arose in 2022 would never have appeared.”
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