The former president of the United States Donald Trump boasted on Tuesday of his close relationship with the Russian president Vladimir Putinarguing that the Ukraine crisis It would not have happened under his administration.
“If handled properly, there was absolutely no reason for the situation that is currently occurring in Ukraine would have happened,” the Republican tycoon said in a statement.
“I know very well Vladimir Putinand he would never have done during the Trump administration what he is doing now, no way!”
unleash reactions against
Russia is facing a strong international backlash after Putin recognized two pro-Russian separatist enclaves as independent states in the east of Ukraine and the Russian senate paved the way for him to send troops to protect those regions.
The measure took place with more than 100,000 Russian soldiers at different points along the borders of Ukraine and amid warnings of a planned all-out invasion by the Putin government.
The current US president, Joe Biden, who imposed economic punishments on the two enclaves on Monday, expanded those measures, announcing sanctions on Tuesday that will cut Russia of Western financing and will hit the “Russian elites” as well as the financial institutions.
Trump criticized “weak” response
But Trump, who had been silent on the escalation of the Russian threat to the US ally, previously criticized the Biden administration’s “weak” response that he said did not match the actions of Russia.
“Now it has begun, the oil prices are rising more and more, and Putin is not only getting what he always wanted, but because of rising oil and gas, he is getting richer and richer,” he added.
The former adviser Russia of the White House, Fiona Hill, told the network CNN on Sunday that Trump’s foreign policy had emboldened Putin for these actions.
(With information from AFP)