In a highly anticipated interview with Elon Musk on X (formerly Twitter), Donald Trump escalated his attacks on President Joe Biden, directly blaming him for the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump asserted that the Russian invasion wouldn’t have happened had Biden not been president, a claim Musk surprisingly agreed with, stating, “You’ve made an excellent point.”
The Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential elections argued that his strong relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin could have prevented the conflict. “I got along with Putin very well, and he respected me,” Trump stated, adding that he often discussed Ukraine with Putin, describing it as “the apple of his eye.” Trump went on to claim he had warned Putin against taking action, saying, “I told him (Putin), ‘don’t do it. You can’t do it, Vladimir.”
Trump also recounted an alleged instance where he advised Putin against invading Ukraine, showcasing a perceived level of influence over the Russian leader. He described Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un as “smart and vicious,” contrasting their perceived strength with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he described as “sleepy Joe” and “Kamala,” respectively.
Trump’s comments align with his known public sympathy for Putin and his repeated criticisms of US aid to Ukraine. His presidential campaign recently claimed that he would end the Ukraine war within 24 hours if elected, although he has refused to provide details of his plan. In May 2023, Trump also publicly stated that he would not guarantee continued defense assistance to Ukraine if he won the election.
During debates with Biden, Trump rejected Putin’s ceasefire terms, which demanded Ukraine surrender four regions partially occupied by Russia and abandon its NATO aspirations, calling them “not acceptable.” Earlier media reports, however, indicated that Trump privately suggested ending the war by pressuring Ukraine to cede Crimea and Donbas to Moscow.
Technical difficulties delayed the interview’s start time, with Musk attributing the delay to a “massive DDOS (distributed denial of service) attack on X.” Despite the technical hiccup, the interview eventually commenced, providing a platform for Trump to reiterate his controversial stance on the Ukraine conflict and his admiration for Putin.
