Trump: “Zelensky treated me nobly”

13 August 2024 11:15

Former US President and current presidential candidate Donald Trump held a two-hour conversation with billionaire Elon Musk on the X platform. The conversation marked Trump’s return to the platform from which he was kicked out three and a half years ago. "Komersant Ukrainian" listened to the conversation and selected the most interesting and important messages and theses of the Republican candidate.

Ukraine and the war

Trump reiterated that under his presidency, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine would not have happened. He spoke about his conversations with Putin:

“I know Putin very well, we got along very well. He respected me, and he talked a lot about Ukraine. It was like the apple of his eye. But I said: don’t do it.”

Regarding the casualties in the war, Trump said that half a million soldiers had already died on both sides.

He also claimed that the Ukrainian army does not have enough men, so young and elderly men are being mobilised. It is worth noting that these figures and claims are not confirmed by experts and official statistics, as mobilisation in Ukraine concerns men aged 25 to 60.

Trump also mentioned his relationship with the Ukrainian president in a somewhat unexpected tone.

“I know Zelenskyy. He has treated me very nobly,”

– trump said, referring to the 2020 impeachment process that Democrats in the US Congress built around a phone call between Trump and Zelenskyy. At the time, Zelenskyy could not be used by either side and took a neutral position, which Trump praised as “noble” behaviour.

US domestic policy

Trump sharply criticised Biden’s migration policy, arguing that illegal migration and crime rates are much higher now than during his presidency. He gave an example:

“If the Democrats win the election, the next convention will have to be held in Venezuela, because all the Venezuelan criminals will go to the United States.”

About Biden, Trump said that he was “close to a vegetable state”.

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Foreign policy and security

Trump claimed that both US allies and opponents are cynically taking advantage of the current US president’s weakness: Europe is raising tariffs on American goods, Iran is helping Hamas fight Israel, and Putin is trying to conquer Ukraine.

The former president criticised the Biden administration for lifting the sanctions against Nord Stream 2 that he had imposed. Trump stressed that these sanctions had increased demand for American gas in Europe, which was beneficial for the United States.

The candidate emphasised the threat of “nuclear warming”, referring to the confrontation with Russia, China and North Korea:

“Very few people talk about the danger of ‘nuclear warming’.” Biden’s policy could lead to a third world war”.

Trump mentioned his diplomatic successes, including a meeting with the DPRK leader, as proof of his talents in international relations.

Musk agreed:

“The risk of World War III is real, and the president of the United States has to be an intimidating figure to be respected.”

Climate and energy

Musk tried to discuss his stance on climate change, suggesting a switch to solar and nuclear energy. He explained that the world is not facing a climate catastrophe, the oil industry should not be demonised, and carbon dioxide emissions should be reduced by switching to alternative energy sources.

However, Trump showed no interest in this topic, only noting that the danger of global warming was exaggerated.

Economy

Musk offered Trump his help in cutting budget spending:

“I would be happy to help such a commission.”

Trump praised Musk for his ability to cut costs, mentioning the massive layoffs at Twitter after Musk acquired the company. He quickly changed the subject, however, without elaborating on the idea of a budget commission.

In the end, Musk called for a vote for Trump: