Controversial Claim by Trump: I Prevented World War III

Donald Trump, in an interview with an American media outlet, stated that the Ukraine-Russia war is the most significant issue confronting Europe today.

In a conversation with Politico, responding to a question about “who holds a stronger position in negotiations,” Trump said: “There is no question that it is Russia. The country is much larger. This war should never have happened. If I were president, it would never have occurred, and it would not have lasted four years.”

He continued: “I saw this war unfold and thought to myself that it would become a major problem. It began, and it could have led to World War III. I think that will no longer happen. I believe that if I hadn’t become president, World War III might have occurred. I think you could have faced a much bigger problem, but this is still a major problem. It is a significant issue for Europe, and they are not handling it well.”

Time for Elections in Ukraine Has Arrived

When asked whether Zelenskyy is responsible for delaying negotiations, Trump stated: “He needs to read the proposal. He hasn’t read it yet. That was the case until yesterday. Maybe he read it overnight… Many people are dying. It would be very good if he reads it. His people liked the proposal. His deputies and key officials liked it, but he hasn’t read it himself yet. He needs to find time to read the proposal.”

Regarding the timing of elections in Ukraine, Trump said: “Yes, I think so. A lot of time has passed. I believe the time has come. Now is an important moment to hold elections. They are using the war as a pretext not to hold elections. I think the people of Ukraine should have this right.”

He added: “Perhaps Zelenskyy himself will win. I don’t know who might win, but they haven’t held elections for a long time. They talk about democracy, but it is reaching a point where it cannot really be called democracy.”

Responding to a question about his son’s remarks that Trump might abandon Ukraine, he said: “No, that’s not correct, but it’s not entirely wrong either. They need to read the potential agreements because dealing with Russia, which holds the upper hand, is not easy.”

Trump emphasized that “this war is not America’s,” stating: “You know, this issue doesn’t affect us directly. Since Biden foolishly gave them $350 billion, our country hasn’t sent any more money. If he hadn’t sent that money, perhaps other events would have occurred.”

Zelenskyy Is Losing the War

Trump stated: “Putin had no respect for Biden and does not respect Zelenskyy either. He doesn’t like Zelenskyy. They hate each other… and this is part of the problem. It is very difficult for them to reach an agreement. I ended eight wars, and I want to say this would have been the ninth. This should have been the easiest. I ended a war that had lasted 36 years. I handled the issue between India and Pakistan. I am proud of that. I do these things consistently and easily. This is not hard for me, but this war is difficult. One of the reasons is the level of hatred between Putin and Zelenskyy.”

Trump emphasized that Zelenskyy is losing the war and must accept certain conditions of the agreement.

He stated: “Before I came into office, they had already lost a lot of territory. They lost a significant part of the coastline… they lost a lot of land… I don’t call this a victory.”

Europe Has Made Many Mistakes in the Ukraine War

When asked about Europe’s support for Ukraine, Trump said: “I am friends with all of them. I like all of them, and I have no animosity… I know them well. I know the good leaders. I know the bad leaders. I know the smart ones. I know the fools as well. There are many fools. They don’t do a good job. Europe, in many ways, is not doing well.”

He added: “They talk, but nothing happens. This war has continued for four years, long before I came. This war is not mine. It is Biden’s war.”

Trump emphasized: “Europe has made many mistakes in this war. They are not doing much right. Just look at what has happened.”

Referring to changes that must occur in Europe, he said: “If they continue on this path, many of these countries will no longer be successful. Their immigration policies are a disaster… This disaster could have affected us too, but I stopped it. For seven months, no one has crossed our borders. Zero! Who would have believed we would reach zero? From millions—sometimes millions a month—to none.”

Europeans Are Destroying Themselves

When asked whether he interferes in European elections or supports specific candidates, Trump said: “I have supported people whom many Europeans don’t like. I supported Viktor Orbán. I supported Millie from Argentina. He was losing, and I supported him, and he won.”

He emphasized: “Europe shouldn’t worry about the U.S.’s stance toward them. They should worry about what they are doing to themselves.”

Trump explained: “They are destroying themselves. I like them. I work with them, but they shouldn’t let these things happen. Otherwise, we reach a point where nothing can be changed. They are very close to that point. This means they will no longer be powerful countries.”

When asked if they would still be considered allies, he replied: “It depends. They will change their ideology because those entering have different ideologies. They will be much weaker and different. Look at the mayor of London. He is a disaster. His ideology is completely different from what it should be. He won because many people moved there. I hate what has happened in London and Paris. I am disgusted by what I see.”

Turkey Has Become a Strong and Powerful Country

Regarding NATO membership, Trump said: “There are countries that create difficulties for NATO—not that they shouldn’t be members. I think having them is good. Turkey is one example. Erdogan is my friend. Whenever they have a problem with him, they ask me to call him because they cannot speak with him. He is tough. I like him a lot. He has built a strong and powerful country. But they can’t deal with him and ask me to contact him. I do, and I always resolve the issue.”

On NATO expansion, he said there are few countries left that could join.

Zelenskyy Is a Good Businessman

He explained: “Before Putin, it was understood that Ukraine shouldn’t join NATO… When Zelenskyy spoke with Putin, he said he wanted two things: to regain Crimea and to join NATO. He didn’t present this well. He is a good businessman. I call him PT Barnum. He was one of the best. He could sell anything at any time… He managed to make Joe Biden give him $350 billion. Now look where he is. He has lost 25% of his country. To give Biden some credit, Crimea was ceded by Obama.”

Trump continued: “This was Obama’s decision, not Biden’s. Well, maybe Biden was involved, but I doubt it. He probably didn’t have much information then. He was never very smart. But Obama ceded it… forced them to give it up.”

Immigrants Commit Crimes in Europe

Trump emphasized that his approach to Europe is to see strong Europeans. He said: “When they allow millions into their countries, many commit crimes. Look at Sweden. I love Sweden and its people, but it has gone from a country with little crime to one with high crime. Look at Germany. Germany had no crime, and Angela made two big mistakes: immigration and energy.”

Horrific Events Are Happening in Europe

On whether the Kremlin is satisfied with U.S. policies toward Europe, he stated: “I have no view about Europe. I have a view about the United States: ‘Make America Great Again.’ I only tell Europe things because I am smart. I see and know a lot. I get reports you never see. I think horrific things are happening in Europe. It endangers the Europe we know. Europe may become something else, and I think Europeans should do something about it.”

I Will Not Discuss Military Strategies Against Venezuela

Responding to the possibility of a U.S. ground attack on Venezuela, he said: “I will not comment on this. I do not say this in any way. I can say that he (Maduro) sent millions to us; prisoners, drug traffickers, gang leaders, and people in psychiatric hospitals. When we had a foolish president, they sent them to our country. Biden, especially now, has low intelligence. He also had low intelligence 30 years ago, but now it is very low. What he did to our country was not good.”

On whether he plans to remove Maduro or wait for him to leave, he said: “I don’t want to say, but he is nearing his final days.”

Trump again avoided commenting on a ground attack and said he would not discuss military strategies.

Regarding his goals in Venezuela, he said: “One goal is to ensure the people of Venezuela are treated well. I want to respect the people of Venezuela—many live in the U.S. 94% of them voted for me, which is incredible… They are amazing people, and Maduro treats them horribly.”

I Will Treat Mexico and Colombia Like Venezuela

He claimed that after U.S. attacks on drug ships in the Caribbean, the volume of drugs entering the U.S. by sea has decreased by 92%.

When asked if he would take similar action against Mexico and Colombia, responsible for fentanyl trafficking to the U.S., he replied: “Yes, absolutely. I will do that.”