Donald Trump is an opponent of aid to Ukraine. Could a conversation with Putin in 2017 be the reason for this?
Washington – Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has made her position on the war in Ukraine clear ahead of the US elections in November: If she wins the election, she would continue support for the country and the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky. At a meeting in Washington, Harris once again promised the Ukrainian leader US support.
On this occasion, Harris was critical of the demands of her opponent Donald Trump, who is pushing for a quick peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. The Republican candidate’s demands are identical to those of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Harris said.
Trump is an opponent of US support for the government in Kiev. A report from New York Times (NYT) suggests that the former president developed his hostility toward Ukraine during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2017. Back when he was still head of state in the White House, Trump is said to have sought the advice of the Kremlin chief.
The report reveals that Rex Tillerson, then Secretary of State, left the conference room on July 7, 2017, after the first meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg, saying: “We have to work on changing the mind of the President on Ukraine”. Eight months later, Tillerson was forced to resign from his post. According to NBC, the now 72-year-old described Russia as an “irresponsible power for instability in the world” and the poisoning of Sergei Skripal as a “truly monstrous act” by the Putin regime. Shortly thereafter, Tillerson was replaced by Mike Pompeo.
In 2017, Trump asked Putin for his opinion on arms sales to Ukraine
In 2017, Trump asked Putin for advice on arms sales to Ukraine. Vladimir Putin portrayed Ukraine as a “corrupt, made-up country.” The Russian president emphasized that his country had the right to exercise influence there – especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Trump responded that his government was considering supplying arms to Ukraine and Putin asked his opinion: “What do you think?” Putin warned that this was “a mistake” and that Ukraine would only demand more support afterward.
According to the NYT, interviews with politicians and Trump confidants as well as reports in Trump’s memoirs show that the Russian president skillfully worked to reinforce Trump’s distrust of Ukraine.
Before the US election: Trump claims he will end the Ukraine war within 24 hours
The war in Ukraine is a controversial topic in the current election campaign before the US elections. During the TV duel with Kamala Harris, Donald Trump avoided the question of whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war against Russia. Instead, he used the opportunity to criticize Zelensky and politicize his trip to the United States.
In recent weeks, Donald Trump has commented several times on the war between Russia and Ukraine. He claimed that he could end the war within “24 hours” before he actually took office. Trump didn’t say how he wanted to do that. His relationship with Vladimir Putin is good. According to the Republican presidential candidate, he gets along “greatly” with Russia’s rulers.
It remains unclear whether Donald Trump would continue US military and diplomatic support for Ukraine if he wins the election. When he takes office, it would be foreseeable that the USA would no longer be Kiev’s most important donor. According to media reports, bringing about a quick end to the war would probably mean that Trump would force Ukraine to give up a large part of the territory occupied by Russia. (yeah)
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