Donald Trump.Photo: ukrinform.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the statements of former US President Donald Trump, who claimed that during his presidency he threatened Vladimir Putin to strike at Moscow in the event of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. This wasreported by TimeUkraineIsrael.
The Kremlin’s position: Maintaining the confidentiality of negotiations
In response to journalists’ requests to explain Trump’s words, Peskov stressed that the Kremlin adheres to strict rules regarding the disclosure of details of negotiations at the highest level. He noted that, unlike many world leaders, the Russian leadership prefers not to bring such topics to the public. “We continue to take a responsible position in terms of not making the content of conversations held at the highest level public,” Peskov said.
Electoral statements and information hygiene
Peskov also added that “hot” and emotional statements are often made during US election campaigns, and this is typical of the election process. He mentioned “information hygiene”, which, according to him, is not always observed by world leaders, hinting at the excessive publicity of such statements.
Trump: Threat to Moscow over Ukraine
The discussion was prompted by a Wall Street Journal article published on 18 October, in which Trump claimed that during his presidency he threatened Putin to strike Moscow if Russia decided to invade Ukraine. Trump said that during one of their conversations, he said: “Vladimir, if you go into Ukraine, I will hit Moscow so hard you won’t believe it.”
The former US president also added that despite his good relations with Putin, he was ready to take decisive action: “We are friends, but I don’t want to do this. However, I have no choice”. According to him, Putin replied: “No way”.
Trump’s statements have caused a significant response, but the Kremlin has a tradition of not disclosing details of the negotiations at the highest level, considering it part of responsible diplomatic behaviour. While the US election campaign is underway, such high-profile statements only increase tensions in international relations.
