Donald Trump has welcomed praise from Russian president Vladimir Putin after again claiming that he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours if he is re-elected in 2024.
In a widely-criticised interview with Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, Mr Trump said that Putin’s comments proved that “what I'm saying is right” about resolving the 18-month-old war.
The former president has repeatedly claimed without providing any details that he could end the war within days should he be successful in taking back the White House.
“If I tell you exactly, I lose all my bargaining chips,” Mr Trump said during the interview broadcast on Sunday.
Related Ukraine-Russia war – live: Key village liberated near Bakhmut as Putin’s forces face 40,000 shells a day Trump refuses to answer Jan 6 question in contentious ‘Meet the Press’ interview - latest news New ‘Meet the Press’ host Kristen Welker defends against Trump interview backlash
“I mean, you can’t really say exactly what you’re going to do. But I would say certain things to Putin. I would say certain things to [Ukrainian president Volodymyr] Zelensky,”
In remarks to the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok last week, Putin said he had heard Mr Trump’s claims he would “solve all pressing problems in a few days”.
“We cannot help but feel happy about it,” the Russian president said.
However, he went on to express doubts that the Republican frontrunner for the presidential nomination could bring meaningful change to relations between the US and Russia.
“What to expect from the future, no matter who the president is, it’s hard for us to say, but it’s unlikely that anything will change radically,” Putin said.
Donald Trump made repeated false statements during an interview on Meet the Press
(REUTERS)
When asked about Putin’s comments, Mr Trump told Ms Welker: “I like that he said that.
“Because that means what I’m saying is right. I would get him into a room. I’d get Zelensky into a room. Then I’d bring them together. And I’d have a deal worked out.”
Ms Welker has faced significant backlash for the interview in her first appearance since taking over NBC’s flagship political show from longtime host Chuck Todd.
The host was accused of “normalising a maniac” for providing Mr Trump with a platform to repeatedly lie with little apparent pushback.
Ms Welker instead fact-checked the former president’s claims during breaks in the interview. NBC News also published an extensive fact-check of the wide-ranging interview on Sunday.
Kristen Welker fact-checked Mr Trump’s lies during breaks as the interview aired on Sunday morning
(NBC News)
Mr Trump has previously claimed that Putin “would have never” launched a war on Ukraine in February 2022 if he was still in power.
The former US president also claimed in a recent interview that he was “the apple” of Putin’s eye.
The pair shared a friendly relationship during Mr Trump’s term in office. During a summit in Helsinki in 2018, Mr Trump was condemned for siding with the Russian leader over his own intelligence agencies when asked whether he accepted that Moscow had interfered in the 2016 election.
Related Trump ignored lawyers who told him he lost the election: ‘I didn’t respect them’ Trump says ‘liberal jews’ voted to ‘destroy America’ - latest GOP senator calls fellow Republicans ‘stupid’ for trying to defund the FBI
During his comments last week, Putin claimed that Mr Trump’s indictments in four separate criminal investigations were evidence that the US political system was “rotten”.
“As for the prosecution of Trump, for us what is happening in today’s conditions, in my opinion, is good because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others democracy,” he said.
More about US election 2024 Donald Trump Vladimir Putin Ukraine
Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
1/ 3Trump welcomes Putin’s praise: ‘That means what I’m saying is right’
Trump welcomes Putin’s praise: ‘That means what I’m saying is right’
Donald Trump made repeated false statements during an interview on Meet the Press
REUTERS
Trump welcomes Putin’s praise: ‘That means what I’m saying is right’
Kristen Welker fact-checked Mr Trump’s lies during breaks as the interview aired on Sunday morning
NBC News
Trump welcomes Putin’s praise: ‘That means what I’m saying is right’
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump met during the G20 summit in Osaka in 2019
SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images
CCPA Notice Promoted stories
BestStories
Behind the Scenes: Celebrities' Former Assistants Spill the Beans on The High-Maintenance DemandsBestStories| Sponsored Sponsored
Read More
Undo
Healthy Guru
Dermatologist: If You Have Toenail Fungal Infection Try This Tonight (It's Genius!)Healthy Guru| Sponsored Sponsored
Undo
Science 1st
Movie Critics Called This Mistake "Unforgivable"We've never noticed until we did, and now it's all we see when we watch this sceneScience 1st| Sponsored Sponsored
Undo
？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Subscribe
Already subscribed? Log in