Vladimir Putin’s recent statement claiming that the invasion of Ukraine would never have happened if Donald Trump had won the 2020 U.S. presidential election is likely another in a long line of self-serving narratives designed to deflect blame for his own actions.
In an interview aired on RT, Putin suggested that “if the victory wasn’t stolen from him in 2020,” the “Ukrainian crisis” of 2022 might have never unfolded. While Putin is known for making bold claims that serve his political agenda, this particular one seems more like a convenient fiction rather than a reflection of the actual geopolitical dynamics.
Putin’s rhetoric seems aimed at downplaying Russia’s responsibility for the invasion of Ukraine, placing the blame on the U.S. election results instead. It’s worth noting that during Trump’s presidency, Putin enjoyed relatively warm relations with the U.S., but even then, Russia continued to engage in aggressive activities, including the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the destabilization of Ukraine. The idea that Putin would have refrained from invading Ukraine simply because Trump was president is highly dubious.
Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine rages on, with Ukrainian forces intensifying their attacks on Russian territory. On January 24, 2025, Ukrainian drones targeted multiple regions in Russia, including the critical Ryazan oil refinery, a major fuel supplier to Moscow.
These attacks have been part of Ukraine’s growing capability to strike deep within Russian territory. Russian authorities claim that Moscow was targeted but the drones were intercepted, though the continued assaults on key infrastructure are undeniably shaking Russia’s military and economic foundations.
In the midst of this chaos, former U.S. president Donald Trump has once again offered to mediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, claiming that he could end the war quickly through direct talks with Putin. “I think Russia should want to make a deal. From what I hear, Putin would like to meet with me. We will meet as soon as we can. I would meet immediately.
Every day that we don’t meet, soldiers are dying on the battlefield,” Trump said. However, this offer to engage with Putin seems more like a political move than a realistic solution to the conflict. Trump’s track record of seeking to warm relations with Putin during his time in office only adds to the skepticism around his motives.
Putin’s government, meanwhile, continues to present itself as the victim of an international conspiracy. Russia’s Security Council head, Sergei Shoigu, has recently warned of the growing risk of war between nuclear powers, citing the increasing geopolitical tensions.
This rhetoric, while concerning, is a familiar tactic in Putin’s playbook, used to justify the regime’s aggressive actions. The reality, however, is that Russia’s aggressive military actions—starting with the annexation of Crimea and now with the invasion of Ukraine—are the real drivers of escalating global tensions.
The international community has continued to support Ukraine, but with that support comes increasing concern about the potential for greater escalation. European nations remain divided on the level of military aid to provide, and the U.S. remains entrenched in its position of supporting Ukraine.
Yet despite these dynamics, Putin’s blame-shifting attempt by invoking the 2020 U.S. election and Trump’s potential role in preventing the invasion doesn’t hold up. This narrative of “what could have been” serves more as a diversion from the harsh realities of Russia’s actions.
Ultimately, Putin’s suggestion that the outcome of the 2020 election is to blame for the invasion of Ukraine is just another misleading attempt to deflect accountability. The crisis in Ukraine is the result of Russia’s own aggression and expansionist ambitions, not the consequences of U.S. domestic politics. While Trump’s willingness to meet with Putin may garner headlines, it does little to address the larger, more pressing issues that continue to fuel the conflict.