Did Trump KNOW Putin's Ukraine plans for years? He was mighty quick to call him a genius

[skip fox]

and claim his rationale (declaring two Ukrainian republics independent) was "savvy." It was as though he knew the invasion would happen (maybe for years), and was surprised Putin's rationale seemed viable.

Had Putin spoken of this in their five meetings which were not secret, though the substance of their discussions were. (Trump even confiscated his interpreter's notes on one occasion, and on another there was only a Putin interpreter). That is, Trump went to lengths to keep their discussions private.

Yes, they might have spoken about Russian interference in elections, but we now know how important Ukraine and NATO were to Putin's future plans for a greater Russia. We also witnessed Trump's denigration of NATO during his presidency.

Did Putin originally plan to invade Ukraine at the beginning of Trump's second term? Was he assured Trump would not unite the member nations of NATO after such an invasion?

If that's the case and if we can prove it (the interpreter who took the notes might be under ex. privilege, but not if the discussions were illegal), then Trump is toast. Only the craziest MAGAs will stay with him, the independents will abandoned him and the entire Republican party might suffer even at this year's ballot box.

[Achilleaze]

1. The draft-dodging Republican "leader" also trashed America's military

No doubt as a way to boost Russia, The Evil Empire that Ronald Reagan warned America about, and that TFG and the Republicans have slithered giddily greedily into bed with.

[DFW]

2. Trump would have called Putin a genius no matter what

If he didn't, he might have found Deutsche Bank calling in his loans.

[skip fox]

3. But it was so quick!

He didn't question the invasion, only commented on the quality of Putin's cover story.

I was as though he knew it was coming but didn't know Putin's rationale, so that when he was told, he was surprised at how good it seemed.

[empedocles]

4. traitortrump may have, along with other 'prospects', been on putin's payroll for decades.

[stopdiggin]

5. the idea that Vladimir Putin

shared anything of value with the blubbering 'imbecile' at any point in their 'relationship' - is fanciful (to put it kindly).
----- -----

[skip fox]

7. Good point.

Maybe he just encouraged Trump's NATO bashing.

[stopdiggin]

9. didn't have to

Trump is/was a full blown nativist/nationalist anti-global isolationist on his own account. (one of his many 'qualifications' in assuming the mantle of 'leader of the free world') Show me a power sharing structure or agreement, anywhere - that he was ever in favor of.

Putin just had the good fortune to stumble across a vapid no nothing populist - that was as antagonistic and antithetical to the western world as he was! Quelle surprise!

[EX500rider]

6. Unlikely as he approved the sale of lethal weapons to Ukraine which Obama had turned down.

Trump administration approved supplying Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, capping a nearly three-year debate in Washington over whether the United States should provide lethal defensive weapons to counter further Russian aggression in Europe.
In a rare show of bipartisanship in 2014, the US Congress passed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, which appropriated $350 million in security assistance, including anti-tank and anti-armor weapons, to the government of Ukraine to defend its territorial integrity. Despite strong congressional backing, President Barack Obama decided not to authorize the US government sale or financing of lethal weapons to Ukraine.


https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/lethal-weapons-to-ukraine-a-primer/

[skip fox]

8. Good point, but

Putin may have put up with that in order yo let Trump undercut NATO, his other target, the target behind the target.