Trump's quiet approval: Putin's influence over US‑Ukraine policy

In 2017, during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Donald Trump, the newly elected President of the USA, met personally with Vladimir Putin. According to "The New York Times," Trump asked the Russian leader for his opinion on military support for Ukraine. Putin described Ukraine as a "fictitious state" and cautioned against helping Kyiv.

This meeting took place three years after Russia annexed Crimea. Trump inquired about Putin's thoughts on supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Putin responded to Trump that it would be a "mistake," arguing that Ukraine is a "corrupt" country and a "fictitious state." He also suggested that if the USA decided to supply weapons, Ukraine would simply ask for more.

Fiona Hill, a member of the United States National Security Council in Hamburg, described the meeting as a "KGB number" performed by the Russian leader.

According to the NYT, Trump did not react to these statements, which caused concern among his associates, especially then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Throughout his presidency and afterwards, Donald Trump repeatedly referred to Ukraine regarding his critical stance toward the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

In 2019, Trump was accused of pressuring Ukraine to investigate matters related to Joe Biden's son in exchange for a promise of military assistance. Although he was acquitted by the Senate in 2020, the topic of Ukraine remained a significant aspect of his presidency and political activities.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump once again announced that if he won, he would end the war between Ukraine and Russia. Allegedly, this would happen within 24 hours, yet Trump never disclosed how he intended to accomplish this.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Donald Trump at the end of September. "It has to end," said Trump while welcoming Zelensky. "At some point, it has to end. [Zelenskyy’s] gone through hell. This country has gone through hell like few countries have ever…," he added. However, he surprised everyone with a confession regarding Putin, making the atmosphere momentarily uncomfortable.