Donald Trump consulted with Vladimir Putin on Ukraine early in his presidency, and the Russian leader’s influence had a significant influence on his views, according to new research published by The New York Times.
The first telephone conversation between Trump and Putin took place on January 28, 2017. It was then that Trump raised the issue of Ukraine and asked the Kremlin dictator to share his opinion. The Russian president did not miss the opportunity and began a long monologue about corruption in Ukraine.
Trump did not explicitly agree with Putin at the time, but he also did not come out in favor of Ukraine, acknowledging that the conflict was hindering his desire to improve relations with Moscow. The same day, German Chancellor Angela Merkel attempted to explain to Trump the importance of continuing to support Ukraine and the need to stop Russian aggression. However, Trump abruptly ended the conversation, thanked Merkel and said goodbye.
The New York Times also reports that as his relationship with Putin developed, Trump began promoting a conspiracy theory about Ukrainian interference in the US election. The idea was pushed by Putin, who claimed that Ukraine was trying to help Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, the sources said. In May 2017, Trump discussed the issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, insisting on communication between Ukrainian officials and American Democrats.
Although his advisers tried to convince him that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, Trump continued to cling to the theory that Ukraine interfered. At a meeting with Putin in Hamburg in July 2017, Trump again succumbed to the Russian president’s manipulations. Putin argued that he had a responsibility to protect the Russian-speaking residents of eastern Ukraine, citing analogies with US President Theodore Roosevelt’s actions in Latin America.
Fiona Hill, a member of Trump’s National Security Council, said Putin probably mentioned Roosevelt because he knew Trump admired the former president and his policies. This strategic move allowed the Kremlin dictator to strengthen his influence over Trump and direct his views on Ukraine in a direction favorable to the Russian Federation.
Previously, Kursor wrote that Trump called on Israel to inflict a tough response on Iran.
