Putin Praises Trump, Suggests Ukraine Crisis Might Not Have Happened Under His Presidency

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his willingness to engage in talks with US President Donald Trump regarding the ongoing Ukraine war. According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Putin is ready to hold a phone call with Trump, and Moscow is awaiting confirmation from Washington. It is expected that the conversation between Trump and Putin could pave the way for a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.

Trump has also expressed his desire to meet with Putin, stating his goal of securing an end to the Ukraine war and working towards reducing nuclear arms. Putin has similarly expressed interest in resuming nuclear disarmament negotiations, emphasising the need for a broader discussion involving other countries with nuclear capabilities.

Putin also claimed that the Ukraine crisis in 2022 might not have happened if Trump had been the US President at the time. “I cannot but agree with him that if he had been president if his victory hadn’t been stolen in 2020, then maybe there would not have been the crisis in Ukraine that emerged in 2022," he said.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the 2020 presidential polls in the US, in which he faced defeat at the hands of Joe Biden, were “stolen" and “rigged". In the run-up to the 2024 elections, Trump boasted that he would bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end on the first day of his presidency in the second term.

Putin heaped praise on Trump, describing him as “pragmatic" and “smart". He said that he did not believe Trump would force global oil prices lower in an attempt to damage Moscow.

“He is not only a smart person, but a pragmatic person. The oil prices were either too high or too low that were bad for both the Russian and American economies. I have a hard time imagining there will be decisions taken that are detrimental to the American economy," the Russian President said.