Putin pointed the finger at former President Joe Biden for the breakdown in U.S.-Russia relations and allowing the war with Ukraine to materialize. The Russian president said that had Donald Trump been in office in 2022, he would not have launched the war more than three years ago.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday, Putin said he had warned Biden against allowing the situation to reach "the point of no return when it would come to hostilities." "I said it quite directly back then that it's a big mistake," Putin said, according to a real-time translation from Russia during the joint press conference with Trump.
Putin Blames Biden, Praises Trump
"President Trump saying that if he was the president back then there would be no war, and I'm quite sure that would indeed be so, I can confirm that," Putin added. Putin's comments served as ultimate flattery toward a president he was eager to keep from fully siding with Ukraine and Europe.
Trump has often insisted that, had he won reelection in 2020, he could have leveraged his rapport with Putin to prevent Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Back on June 16, 2021, Biden and Putin had met face-to-face in Geneva, Switzerland for a summit as tensions between Moscow and Washington, D.C. were escalating.
Just eight months later, on February 24, 2022, Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, sparking a brutal war that continues today, claiming thousands of lives and forcing many from their homes.
Trump's talks with Putin now seem to represent Ukraine's final opportunity to bring an end to the violence and Russia's territorial aggression.
European leaders have voiced concerns that Trump may give up too much territory, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that a peace agreement might ultimately involve ceding additional land to Putin's regime.
No Peace Deal Reached
On Friday, Putin said that his strong, reliable business relationship with Trump gives him confidence that "we can come to see the end of the conflict in Ukraine." Still, both leaders admitted that much work remains to be done — and no ceasefire was declared during their joint press conference.
"I have every reason to believe that moving down this path we can come to see the end of the conflict in Ukraine," Putin said at the end of his remarks.
If their greeting was any clue to their dynamic, Trump and Putin seemed more than friendly. The two exchanged smiles as they met in person for the first time since 2018. Their meeting was filled with physical gestures of warmth, capped off by Trump applauding the authoritarian leader.
According to body language expert Judi James, this amounted to giving Putin "the ultimate ego stroke," treating him as though he were a star guest.
Putin looked clearly delighted with the extended exchange, with James noting he was left "purring" with satisfaction.
Analysts warn that Trump has already granted Putin a "win" simply by hosting him on U.S. soil for the first time in over ten years and agreeing to leave Zelensky out.
However, James noted that the U.S. president's demeanor shifted quickly once they moved into the room for their formal discussions.
She pointed out that he adopted a more "heavyweight, power pose" when it came time to address serious matters.
After their nearly three-hour meeting, Trump and Putin delivered brief remarks in a 12-minute joint press conference, without fielding any questions. It marked their first in-person sit-down since Trump returned to office.
