'If Trump was in power Ukraine conflict could have been avoided': Putin bats for US president

On Thursday (Oct 2), Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the annual Valdai Discussion Club conference. In his address, Putin mentioned that ‘if US President Donald Trump was in power the conflict in Ukraine could have been avoided’. Moscow’s ‘military exercise’ in Ukraine began in 2021, also the time when Joe Biden was in office. And now, as the US president speaks of ending wars, he had emphasised that ‘this is Biden’s war’ which 'should have never happened, would have never happened'.The 79-year-old had also paused US aid to Ukraine and later restarted it, saying the country had the right to defend itself.

At the Valdai Discussion Club conference, Putin also said, “Ukrainian tragedy is common pain for all of us. The West doesn’t care about Ukrainians; it views them as cannon fodder.”

He continued, "The West has been recreating the same old enemy—Russia, a caricature invented centuries ago. Many Europeans can't understand why Russia is so threatening that they must tighten their belts, sacrifice their own interests, and engage in policies that harm them. Yet, European elites continue to stoke hysteria.”