Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin spoke positively about US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s call to end the war in Ukraine, saying Russia supports the idea and adding that he believes Trump means it “sincerely.” He said his opinion that Biden is better for the future of Russia has not changed.
“The fact that Mr Trump, as a presidential candidate, declares that he is ready and wants to stop the war in Ukraine, we take this completely seriously,” Putin said at a press conference in Kazakhstan on regional security. “I am not, of course, familiar with possible proposals for how he plans to do this. This is the key question. But I have no doubt that he means it sincerely, and we support it (the idea of ending the war).”
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This follows from an April Washington Post report that Trump privately floated the idea of letting Putin keep Crimea—territory Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014—as well as the Donbas area (which Russia is exerting pressure over) in exchange for a peace deal. The Trump campaign has not confirmed or denied this comment.
Last month, two major advisors of Trump suggested a plan to persuade Ukraine to end the war in exchange for more US weapons. Around the same time, Putin said Russia would enter peace talks if Ukraine promised to end its attempt to enter NATO and give Russia the four provinces it claims is rightfully theirs. The Ukrainian government immediately refused this deal, saying it amounted to a complete Russian victory.
Putin added that he would have to wait to have peace talks, as the level of instability induced by the US presidential election makes it impossible.
He has said multiple times in the past that a Biden presidency is preferable to a Trump one as far as Russia’s future is concerned, a position that he continues to affirm. “Nothing has changed,” Putin said regarding this position after the debate. “Did we know what could come? We knew. … I saw some fragments, but I have enough to do.” He explained that he attempted to avoid media commentary on the debate but could not avoid watching the debate as the US is a superpower.
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics and business for VT and a regular guest on The Unusual Suspects. Follow Shane’s work here.
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