During a conversation with Elon Musk on August 12, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump claimed that Russia wouldn't have invaded Ukraine if U.S. President Joe Biden weren't in office.
Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, agreed with Trump, saying he made "an excellent point."
Musk also endorsed Trump on the same day the GOP nominee was shot at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
The interview was planned to be hosted “Live on X” at 8 p.m. ET.
Due to technical glitches, many users were unable to tune in. Musk later attributed the issues to a "massive DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack on X" and mentioned efforts to address it.
The interview started about 45 minutes late.
Trump's Views on Russia
During the interview, Trump spoke about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, describing them as "smart and vicious."
Trump claimed that he had warned Putin against invading Ukraine, saying, "We would talk about Ukraine. It was the apple of his eye. But I told him don't do it."
Trump has often expressed public sympathy for Putin and criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Throughout his presidential campaign, he has claimed that he could end the war within 24 hours if elected, though he has not provided specific details on how he would achieve this.
In debates with Biden, Trump rejected Putin's ceasefire terms, which included Ukraine surrendering four regions partially occupied by Russia and abandoning its efforts to join NATO, calling these terms "not acceptable."
Mixed Messages on Ukraine
Despite his public stance, reports have suggested that Trump privately considered pressuring Ukraine to cede Crimea and Donbas to Russia as a way to end the conflict.
He has also stated that he might not guarantee continued defense assistance to Ukraine if he were to win the presidential election.
In April, Trump acknowledged the importance of Ukraine's survival to the United States, a statement that came just before a vote on a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Trump's vice-presidential pick, J.D. Vance, has been vocal in his opposition to continued U.S. support for Ukraine.
In leaked text messages with far-right conspiracy theorist Charles Johnson, Vance expressed his reluctance to engage with Ukrainian officials, saying, "Dude, I won't even take calls from Ukraine."
This exchange occurred as congressional Republicans were blocking an aid package for Ukraine, leading to a prolonged standoff.
Trump also reiterated his claim that he had advised Putin against the invasion, adding a personal touch to the conversation: "I told him, 'don't do it. You can't do it, Vladimir.' He said 'no way', and I said 'way'," Trump remarked.
