If President Donald Trump had been in the White House in 2022, Russia would never have invaded Ukraine, said Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday.
Trump and Putin met at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson to discuss ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to Fox News.
During the press conference that followed their meeting, Putin seemingly confirmed what Trump had said many times on the campaign trail in 2024.
“I’d like to remind you that in 2022, during the last contact with a previous administration, I tried to convince my previous American colleague that the situation should not be brought to a point of no return when it would come to hostilities,” Putin said, according to a translator.
“I said it quite directly back then that it’s a big mistake.”
“Today, when President Trump is saying that if he was the president back then there would be no war — I am quite sure that it would indeed be so. I can confirm that,” Putin continued.
Supporters of President Trump were quick to share Putin’s comments as a seeming confirmation of their belief that the war would have never happened had Trump won the 2020 presidential election.
BREAKING: Russian President Vladimir Putin confirms he would not have invaded Ukraine if Donald Trump were President of the United States at the time.
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) August 15, 2025
Do you think the war would’ve started if Trump had been in office?
Well well well…
Remember when they mocked President Trump for this answer?
It turns out he was absolutely correct.
Putin admitted he would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump was President.
The stolen 2020 election had dire consequences.pic.twitter.com/QLLLPV3GqH
— C3 (@C_3C_3) August 15, 2025
I wish everything in the world would be that easy. Trump said he could have prevented the war in Ukraine simply by telling Putin: you’re not going in. pic.twitter.com/hUH2Dtal6G
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) October 26, 2024
Ultimately, the two world leaders were unable to walk away from the summit with a deal.
“I believe we had a very productive meeting,” Trump said at the news conference. \
“There were many, many points that we agreed on: most of them, I would say. Couple of big ones that we haven’t quite gotten there, but we’ve made some headway.
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump added.
President Donald Trump: “There’s no deal until there’s a deal. I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate and I’ll of course call up President Zelensky and tell him about today’s meeting. It’s ultimately up to them.” pic.twitter.com/ur3kxRIgM4
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 15, 2025
Trump announced that he would be meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House soon, according to NPR.
“It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social.
“President Zelenskyy will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote.
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