Trump and Putin: Behind-the-scenes talks on ukraine unravel

In 2017, during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Donald Trump, as the newly elected President of the USA, personally met with Vladimir Putin. According to "The New York Times," Trump asked the Russian leader for his opinion on military support for Ukraine. Putin referred to Ukraine as a "fictitious state" and warned against assisting Kyiv.

During the meeting, which took place three years after Russia annexed Crimea, Trump queried Putin about the prospects of supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Putin replied that it would be a "mistake," suggesting that Ukraine is a "corrupt" country and a "fictitious state." He also advised that if the USA decided to supply weapons, Ukraine would only ask for more.

Fiona Hill, a member of the United States National Security Council in Hamburg, described this meeting as a "KGB number" performed by the Russian leader.

According to the NYT, Trump did not respond to these statements, which "caused concern among his associates, especially then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson."

Throughout his presidency and afterward, Donald Trump repeatedly referred to Ukraine in the context of his critical stance towards the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

In 2019, Trump was accused of pressuring Ukraine to investigate matters related to Joe Biden's son in exchange for a promise of military assistance. Although he was acquitted by the Senate in 2020, the topic of Ukraine remained a significant aspect of his presidency and political endeavors.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump once again announced that, if elected, he would end the war between Ukraine and Russia. Allegedly, this would occur within 24 hours, yet Trump never disclosed how he intended to achieve this.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Donald Trump at the end of September. "It has to end," said Trump, welcoming Zelensky. "At some point, it has to end. [Zelenskyy’s] gone through hell. This country has gone through hell like few countries have ever…," he added. However, he then surprised everyone with a statement about Putin, making the atmosphere momentarily uncomfortable.