Donald Trump
Susan Walsh, File/Related Press
Former President Donald Trump has usually bragged about his shut relationship with Putin, and the 2 met a number of instances through the former’s presidency. Trump usually describes the Russian strongman in flattering phrases, ignoring experiences of murdered dissidents, fraud-filled elections, and election interference.
That largely remained the identical after Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Whereas a lot of the world was condemning the assault, Trump lauded Putin’s justification for invading as “genius” and “savvy.”
Final month, Trump appeared to take the blame for the invasion away from Putin and place it on US management — precisely the place the Russian president says it belongs. Trump has additionally tried to attain political factors off Putin’s invasion, claiming with out foundation that it could not have occurred if he was nonetheless president.
“They really taunted him, if you happen to actually have a look at it, our nation and our so-called management taunted Putin,” Trump advised right-wing community Actual America’s Voice. “I’d hear, I’d say, you recognize, they’re nearly forcing him to go in with what they’re saying. The rhetoric was so dumb.”
Putin has tried responsible his invasion of Ukraine on Western leaders, and the eastward enlargement of NATO, framing it as a defensive operation supposed to avoid wasting the Russian folks and their lifestyle — and Trump’s feedback fall straight in step with that narrative. Certainly, Putin has claimed that Ukraine is just not an actual nation and tried to take away its elected management, whereas additionally making an attempt to pin blame on the West.
Trump additionally pushed a Ukraine-Russia peace deal after Putin threatened using nuclear weapons, enjoying into Putin’s plans in a method that some consultants described as “harmful.”
A spokesperson for Trump was not instantly accessible for remark.
