Stand behind Ukrainian independent journalism when it’s needed most. Help us reach 20,000 members.

Skip to content
Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, holds a town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center on Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pennsylvania. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Donald Trump said on Oct. 14 that during his presidency, he "(got) along very well with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," implying that the Russian leader often talked about his ambition to control Ukraine.

The comments came three weeks before the U.S. presidential election, which can have a profound impact on Washington's support for Ukraine's struggle against Russian aggression.

"I get along very well with Putin. I got; I fully understand what's happening," the Republican candidate for U.S. presidency said at a town hall event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"It (Ukraine) was the apple of his eye; he used to talk about it. But I said, 'You're not going in,' and he wasn't going in."

Join our community
Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.
Support us

The former president repeated his assertion that there "wouldn't be a war between Russia and Ukraine" if he had been in the White House instead of Joe Biden in the past years.

Russia's aggression against Ukraine began in 2014 with the occupation of Crimea and invasion of Donbas, with hostilities ongoing throughout Trump's presidential term of 2017-2021.

Speaking at the event, Trump also claimed he "(gets) along very well with (Ukraine's President Volodymyr) Zelensky," highlighting their meeting in New York during the Ukrainian president's visit to the U.S.

During their meeting in late September, Trump again praised his relationship with both Zelensky and Putin. Zelensky also met with President Biden and Trump's rival in the upcoming vote, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump's boasting about good ties with Putin has contributed to the concerns about his future policy toward Ukraine should he become president.

Excerpts from U.S. journalist Bob Woodward's new book, "War," claim that Trump has spoken to Putin seven times since leaving office in 2021 and secretly sent the Russian president Covid testing devices during his presidency.

Trump has often claimed he would end Russia's war within "24 hours" without elaborating on how he plans to achieve it. Some reports and statements from Trump's inner circle indicate this might entail pressuring Ukraine to cede territory or give up on its NATO aspirations.

Woodward revelations deepen debate on whether Trump will sell out Ukraine to Kremlin
As the Nov. 5 presidential election in the U.S. approaches, debate is intensifying over whether one of the two potential winners, Donald Trump, will act in the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although discussions on the topic have raged since Trump’s first presidency, they accelerate…

Independent journalism needs a community —
not a paywall.

We’re working hard to show the world the truth of Russia’s brutal war — and we’re keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all.

Our goal: reach 20,000 members to prove independent journalism can survive without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise. Will you help us do it?

Can we reach 20,000 members?

News Feed

11:51 PM

Trump 'very surprised, disappointed' at Russian attacks on Ukraine amid peace talks.

"I've gotten to see things I was very surprised at. Rockets being shot into cities like Kyiv during a negotiation that was maybe very close to ending," Trump said during a news conference in the Oval Office. "All of a sudden rockets got shot into a couple of cities and people died. I saw thing I was surprised at and I don't like being surprised, so I'm very disappointed in that way."
5:10 PM

All territory will revert to Ukraine, predicts US diplomat.

The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sits down with Michael Carpenter, former U.S. Ambassador to OSCE and senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, to discuss the current lagging U.S. military support for Ukraine amid the ongoing ceasefire talks with Russia. Carpenter also offers his predictions for the future of Ukraine’s occupied territories.
10:10 AM

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 7, injure 39 over past day.

Ukrainian forces downed 26 out of the 90 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Thirty drones were intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars without causing any damage, according to the statement.
9:21 AM

NATO expansion 'fair' concern for Putin, Kellogg says.

"And that's one of the issues Russia will bring up... They're also talking about Georgia, they're talking about Moldova, they're talking — obviously — about Ukraine. And we're saying, 'Okay, let's address this comprehensively,'" U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Keith Kellogg said.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.