“I’d like to say that Russia never refused to come to contact with the United States administration,” Putin told a reporter on Friday. “And it is, through no fault of ours, that the previous Administration refused to communicate.”
“I always had business-like relations with the previous US President [Donald Trump] that were very business-like and pragmatic. But there was trust as well. If he had been the president, if the victory wasn’t stolen from him in 2020, maybe the Ukrainian crisis that arose in 2022 would have never appeared.”
🚨BREAKING: Vladimir Putin says the Ukrainian crisis could have been avoided if Donald Trump hadn't had the election stolen in 2020 and is ready for negotiations
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) January 24, 2025
'I cannot but agree with him that if he had been president, if his victory had not been stolen from him in 2020, then… pic.twitter.com/UTaGz73JWR
The comments came as President Trump on Wednesday threatened Russia with high tariffs as he urged the Russian president to negotiate an end to the war, saying it would be lucratively beneficial to both nations.
“I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX,” Trump wrote on Truth social. “We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process.
“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”
Elsewhere in the interview, Putin said he’s anticipating a meeting with Trump which he hoped could somehow lead to a more vibrant economy for consumers.
“He is not only a smart person, he is a pragmatic person, and I can hardly imagine that decisions will be made that would harm the American economy itself,” Putin said of Trump.
“It is probably better for us to meet and, based on today’s realities, talk calmly about all areas that are of interest to both the U.S. and Russia,” he said, according to the New York Times.
“If prices are too high, that’s bad for both our economy and the American economy…And when prices are too low that’s also very bad, because it undermines investment opportunities for energy companies. We have a lot to talk about here.”
Here’s the full interview, with English subtitles:
Via InfoWars🇷🇺🇺🇦Full interview with Putin today.
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) January 24, 2025
He talks about that the war wouldn’t have happened if Trump’s election wouldn’t be stolen, willingness to negotiate with Ukraine and the problems with it, sanctions and much more. pic.twitter.com/Xheth1kad6