Trump Warned Russia Against Invading Ukraine, Suspects Putin Feared Him

Despite boasting about his good personal relationship with Vladimir Putin, former President Donald Trump said he warned the Russian president against invading Ukraine.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said that during his time at the White House, he used to remind Putin not to attack Ukraine.

"Putin would have never gone into Ukraine. I used to talk to him about it – I said 'better not do it'. And he wouldn't have – we had a very friendly conversation about it: I said, 'Hey, Vladimir, you can't go into Ukraine," Trump told host Sean Hannity.

When asked why he said "with such conviction" that Putin would not have staged an invasion of Ukraine had he been reelected, Trump said the Russian president "knew not to mess around with me."

"I don't want to say that. You know why? Because you'd say – Oh – I don't like people who say 'oh, they fear me' like a schmuck. I don't want to say it, but did they fear me? I suspect they did," Trump said.

In his first rally for the 2024 campaign cycle in Waco, Texas, Trump promised to end the Russian-led war in Ukraine "within 24 hours" by quickly pushing for a peace settlement if elected president next year.

Trump blamed President Joe Biden's "weakness and incompetence" for bringing the world closer to World War 3 before promising to "bring back peace through strength" if he prevailed in the upcoming presidential race.

Trump has made public his stance regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict since it began more than a year ago.

In the early days of the war, Trump praised Putin for being "very savvy" and said the Russian leader made a "genius" move by declaring two Ukrainian regions as "independent states." Trump also said he trusts Putin more than the U.S. intelligence community.

Earlier this month, Trump claimed in a radio interview with Hannity that he could have negotiated with Putin to make a deal allowing Russia to take over "Russian-speaking areas" in Ukraine in order to prevent the war.

The former U.S. president also reiterated his plan for peace negotiations to Fox News Tucker Carlson, saying Russia and Ukraine "are weary and ready to make a deal."

Trump said that he was open to limiting U.S. assistance to Ukraine, depending on his meeting with Putin, and insisted that Europe "must pay."

He also opposed providing Ukraine with advanced battle tanks, claiming that Russia would be forced to use its nuclear weapons.