Putin says Ukraine conflict 'would not have happened' if Trump were president in 2022

Alaska [US], August 16 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (local time) said that if US President Donald Trump had been in power in 2022, the Russia-Ukraine conflict would likely never have happened -- a claim Trump has made several times, blaming his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the war.
In a joint press conference after nearly three hours of talks with Trump, Putin said that in 2022, he had cautioned former US President Biden that the tensions between the two nations should not be allowed to reach a point of no return.
"Today, when President Trump says had he been the President back then, there would have been no war, and I am quite sure it would indeed be so," he said.
He added, "During the last contact with the previous administration in 2022, I tried to convince my previous American colleague that the situation should not be brought to the point of no return when it comes to hostilities. I said it directly back then that it is a big mistake."
Putin said that on Friday's negotiations had been useful and were held in a constructive atmosphere.
"Our negotiations have been held in a constructive atmosphere of mutual respect. We had very narrow negotiations that were quite useful. I would like to thank my American counterpart once again for the proposal to travel out here to Alaska. It only makes sense that we've met here because our countries, though separated by the oceans, are close neighbours," he said.
He added that despite being separated by the International Date Line, Russia and the US are geographically close, making the meeting feel like a visit to a neighbour.
"So when we met, when I came out of the plane, I said, 'Good Afternoon, dear neighbour! Very good to see you in good health.' I think that is very neighbourly. I think that's some kind words that we can say to each other. We are separated by the Strait of Bering, though there are only two islands between the Russian Island and the US Island; they are only 4km apart. We are close neighbours and it's a fact," he said.
Putin also highlighted Alaska's historical significance as common ground for the US and Russia, noting its role during World War II as a bridge for transporting military equipment from the US to the USSR.
"It's also important that Alaska has to do with our common heritage and common history between Russia and the US, and many positive events have to do with that territory. Still, there is tremendous cultural heritage back from Russia and America. For example, orthodox churches and more than 700 geographical names of Russian origin," he said.
"During the Second World War, it was here in Alaska that the origin of the legendary airbridge for the supply of military aircraft and other equipment under the land lease programme. It was a dangerous and treacherous route. Over the vast emptiness of ice, however, the pilots of both countries did everything to bring close to victory. They risked their lives and gave it all for their community," he added.
Putin recounted how soldiers from both countries fought together with common enemies in a spirit of camaraderie.
"I was just in the city of Magadan, and there was a memorial there which was dedicated to the Russian and US pilots. There are two flags there- the US flag and the Russian flag. I know that here, as well, there was a memorial. There is a military burial place several kilometres away from here. So many pilots are buried here who died during the dangerous mission. We are thankful to the citizens and the government in the West for taking care of their memory. I think that's more than noble. We will always remember other historical examples when our countries defeated common enemies together in the spirit of battle camaraderie. They supported each other and facilitated each other. I am sure that this heritage will help us rebuild and foster mutually beneficial and equal ties," he noted.
Putin further acknowledged that US-Russia relations have hit a record low, but emphasised that he and Trump had spoken candidly over the phone.
"At this new stage, even during the hardest conditions, it is known that there have been no summits between Russia and the US in four years. That's a long time. This time was very hard for bilateral relations, and let's be frank- they have fallen to the lowest point since the Cold War. I think that's not benefiting our countries and the world as a whole. Sooner or later, we have to amend the situation to move on from the confrontation to dialogue. In this case, a personal meeting between the heads of state has been long overdue. Naturally, the condition of serious and painstaking work. This work has been done in general. President Trump and me have a very good direct contact. We have spoken multiple times. We spoke frankly on the phone," he said.
Putin also noted that Trump's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, had travelled several times to Russia for talks.
"And the Special Envoy of President Trump, Mr Witkoff, travelled down to Russia several times. Our advisors and heads of foreign ministries kept in touch all the time. We knew fully well that one of the central issues was the situation in Ukraine," he said.
In Russia, the reaction to the summit between Putin and Trump has been more than positive. Russian media were ecstatic when the Russian leader received applause from the US president as the red carpet was literally rolled out for Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, CNN reported. (ANI)