May 23, 2024
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP
Former President Donald Trump has no admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and only “compliments Putin publicly” to please his base, according to former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland.
Sondland, who was fired by Trump months after serving as a key witness during his first impeachment, recalled the former president candidly telling him that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un would stab him “in the stomach if he had the chance” in an interview published by Foreign Policy on Thursday.
The former ambassador suggested that Trump secretly has the same attitude about all authoritarian world leaders, including Putin, despite sometimes offering public praise for international “strongmen.”
Sondland also argued that Trump was “doing a head fake” with regards to his stance on the Russia-Ukraine war and only hinting that he might stop aid to Ukraine to please potential voters who could help him defeat President Joe Biden in November.
“[Trump] does not like Putin at all. At all,” said Sondland. “And while he compliments Putin publicly, he does it because it’s a contrarian strategy.”
“He supports Ukraine,” he added. “He totally understands the stakes. I really believe that … But [Trump] is doing a head fake in order to keep his base solidly aligned until he gets through the election.”
Sondland went on to claim that if Trump does manage to return to the White House, he would “surge weapons” deliveries to Ukraine in hopes of forcing Moscow to negotiate an end to the war.
Newsweek reached out for comment to the offices of Trump and Putin via email on Thursday.
While Sondland claims that the ex-president would side with Ukraine over Russia if he returns to the White House, other former Trump administration officials including former National Security Adviser John Bolton and former Defense Secretary Mark Esper have argued that a Trump win would spell disaster for Kyiv.
The former president’s relationship with Putin has been the subject of speculation since shortly after he launched his political career, with Democrats and other Trump critics often accusing him of cozying up to the Russian leader to the detriment of U.S. foreign interests.
Trump has repeatedly said that he has the ability to end the Russia-Ukraine war within “24 hours” using his negotiation skills, a claim that both Russian and Ukrainian officials have dismissed.
Trump suggested in a Truth Social post on Thursday that Putin would release imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich if he wins the election in November, writing: “Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!”
Putin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told Russian state-media outlet TASS that “Putin has no contacts with Donald Trump” in response to the post.
A significant number of Trump supporters have expressed a fondness for Putin, with a viral video last month showing attendees of a Trump rally saying that they would happily vote for the Russian leader to replace Biden in a hypothetical U.S. presidential election.
Putin claimed in February that he would favor Biden in the November election, saying that the incumbent president is “more experienced, more predictable [and] a politician of the old school.” Trump called the non-endorsement “a compliment.”
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-doesnt-like-putin-all-ex-ambassador-says-1904264
That’s strange, because when I recall certain statements by Trump, it sounds as if he’s deeply in love with the high-heel wearing dicktator.
Some people don’t understand what Trump is really saying by his positions and its good to hear from Sondland as someone that agrees with me, lol.
As long as Donny agrees with Mike i’m all downe to it.
Where are the US F-16s and Patriots, loser!
Maybe you could interpret some of Trumpet’s positive statement’s about the rat and negative ones about Ukraine, Red. I’m all ears.
Do you have trouble remembering Trump closed Moskali consulates, embassies, added sanctions, green-lighted Javelins and closed NS2? Perhaps you need to reread my post, it was about actions not words. Only facts please!
I haven’t forgotten any of that Red, but that was before he fell in love with the gutter rat.
If Sondland is right (which I doubt) it means Trump really doesn’t care for anyone except himself and those that suck up to him.. I don’t buy the story but have no idea why Sondland is doing this, unless he’s getting something from someone.
I agree. The Trumpet cares foremost about numero uno, himself. Then you have to wait a while before another entity crops up on his favorite list, money.
The opinions that trump holds on Ukraine; sneering contempt and putler; fawning admiration, were formed years ago by the Russian agent Manafort and Russian radio propagandist Michael Savage. Both these phlegm-wads are long standing close friends.
Furthermore these revolting opinions have been published in three books by men who know him well: John Bolton, Lev Parnas and Kurt Volker.
One thing that can be believed in the article: fat boy Kim would stab him in the guts if given a chance.
Don’t forget, Volker said he wasn’t worried at all about Ukraine if Trump got reelected. You will see, Scradge, Trump is not the monster you have tried so hard to make him out to be. You just have to learn to judge people by what they do and not their political positions. It would do you well. You’ll see.
It’s a waste of time trying to supply you with factual information, but I will do it one more time.
Lies told by Trump about Ukraine to Volker :
“He said that Ukraine was a corrupt country, full of ‘terrible people,’” Volker said of Trump. “He said they ‘tried to take me down.’ In the course of that conversation, he referenced conversations with Mayor Giuliani. It was clear to me that despite the positive news and recommendations being conveyed by this official delegation about the new President, President Trump had a deeply rooted negative view on Ukraine rooted in the past. He was clearly receiving other information from other sources, including Mayor Giuliani, that was more negative, causing him to retain this negative view.”
Now explain to me why a person who said :
“I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius.’ Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine — Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful,” Trump said in a radio interview with “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show.” “He used the word ‘independent’ and ‘we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.’ You gotta say that’s pretty savvy.”
Could be trusted even to run a hamburger stand?
Then explain why he allows his retarded son to slur Zel as a “welfare queen?” It’s a double slur because it also implies homosexuality, which was already slurred at Zel by another asshole friend of Trump : Ted Nugent.
Then explain how enabling putler to murder thousands of Ukrainians via his aid block is helpful to Ukraine. It’s a wicked crime : defacto mass murder. As bad as the vermin that actually did it.
Some are fighting for Ukraine, and some are fighting for an internationalized islamized castrated Ukraine where white prostitutes just bend over. We will see which faction will defeat Putin…
“Internationalized islamized castrated Ukraine”
Who is fighting for that?
I don’t think a single Ukrainian is very enthousiastic about people that send Shahed drones to kill Ukrainians at home, hates jews, mutilate women’s genitals, hates gays and so on.
Ukraine however has a strange relationship with Muslims, as most Tatars seem to be Ukrainian patriots and are fairly well organized.
It was even a Tatar that won Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine.
But I have the feeling Crimean Tatars aren’t the kind of Muslims shouting “from the river to the sea” and trashing European university buildings and will not walk around with Palestinian flags.
“Sondland went on to claim that if Trump does manage to return to the White House, he would “surge weapons” deliveries to Ukraine in hopes of forcing Moscow to negotiate an end to the war.”
Bullshit, Sondland. The fact that Trump thinks negotiating an end to the war is even possible shows that Trump does like Putin, and worse, completely misunderstands him, same as you.
First of all lets be clear Trump only “Likes” one person in this world and that is ,not surprisingly, Trump. Not is various plastic trophy wives or his equally plastic trophy children.
Secondly there are no great morals that he can compromise because he has none. Nothing is sacred to him except himself and his all consuming quest for self aggrandizement.
One sycophant sucking up to him doesn’t change the numerous documented acts of shear villainy and and callous disregard for any morality.
I would not care if he was the biggest fan of Ukraine god ever created. He is a despicable human being who should have never been elected dog catcher much less President.