Trump made a new sensational statement regarding Putin and the war in Ukraine: he suggested that the Russian dictator is seeking to halt military actions and expressed confidence that if the former U
S. president had not won in 2020, Russia might have already taken control of the whole of Ukraine. His words came ahead of new political discussions and numerous speculations about future scenarios of the conflict. In his interview with ABC News, Trump touched upon the topic of the war and made an unexpected statement about Putin’s motives, mentioning recent strikes on peaceful Ukrainian cities. The U.S. President noted that the Kremlin might be aiming to end the hostilities and added that if he were still in office, the situation could have been different. “I would say that he (Putin — ed.) would like to stop the war,” Trump emphasized. When asked about the sincerity of this position, the politician responded: “I think that if I hadn’t won the election, he would have already taken over all of Ukraine.” His words sounded confident that with his arrival in power, the situation might have changed dramatically, as he is convinced that Putin is seeking opportunities to conquer a larger part of Ukrainian territory. Trump himself assured that thanks to his personal efforts and status, he believes in the prospects of stopping the fighting: “I think Putin would like to end the conflict, and I personally see that he is fully prepared for negotiations and seeking a compromise. Without me, — he noted — maybe he would have long since become the ruler of all of Ukraine.” This is not the first time Trump has made such statements. Previously, he criticized the Russian leader for strikes on peaceful Ukrainian cities and suggested that Putin uses aggression to “confuse” the West, rather than to achieve peaceful goals. Amid intense political debates, his opinions have sparked many discussions among analysts, experts, and political opponents. Importantly, Trump voiced this new position ahead of several significant diplomatic events. On Monday, he also expressed his disappointment about Russia's missile attack on Kyiv and questioned Russia’s true intentions regarding ending the war. He emphasized that the situation remains tense and pointed out that without his intervention, Russian troops might have long since secured some Ukrainian regions. A much deeper discussion of these issues took place during the meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump on April 26 in Rome. It happened during official events marking Pope Francis’s funeral, and media already consider this meeting a historic event. Zelensky called the talks with the American president a potentially decisive step in supporting Ukraine. The White House noted that the dialogue was very productive and opened new opportunities for diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving peace and stabilizing the regional situation. It is clear that Trump’s statements provoke mixed reactions and intense debates among Ukrainian and international experts. At the same time, their impact on U.S. policy and the positions of other global players remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain — the words of the former president once again highlight how complex the situation around Ukraine remains and how crucial international support is in seeking a path toward peace and stability in the region.