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."
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.
Oleg Sukhov
(Updated: )
