Putin Says Ukraine War ‘Wouldn’t Have Started’ If Trump Had Been US President in 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday echoed former US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the Russia-Ukraine conflict “would never have started” if Trump had remained in office in 2022. Speaking during the joint press conference after their high-stakes Alaska summit — their first face-to-face meeting in five years — Putin said he had warned the Biden administration against actions that could escalate tensions into military conflict.
“In 2022, during our last contact with the previous administration, I tried to convince my American colleague that the situation should not be brought to the point of no return,” Putin said, calling it a “big mistake” that hostilities erupted. He added, “Today, when President Trump says had he been the President back then, there would have been no war, I am quite sure it would indeed be so.”
The Alaska talks, held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, lasted over three hours behind closed doors, ending without any specific breakthroughs on halting or resolving the conflict, which has now entered its fourth year and is Europe’s deadliest since World War II. Both leaders described the summit as constructive, with Putin calling the venue “a logical venue given our countries’ shared history.”
Putin highlighted the “very good, businesslike and trusting contact” he and Trump share, expressing hope that this approach could help bring an end to the war “the sooner, the better.” He also praised Trump’s “friendly tone of conversation” and emphasized the importance of rectifying strained US-Russia relations.
Looking ahead, Putin proposed a second round of talks to be held in Moscow, expressing hope that Kyiv and European capitals would “constructively perceive all of this” and refrain from undermining progress through “provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue.” Trump left the door open to future engagements, saying, “I could see it possibly happening.”
The summit marks a delicate diplomatic effort to move toward dialogue, though both leaders remain cautious amid ongoing hostilities and geopolitical complexities.
