Putin denies recalling Trump's alleged threats over Ukraine invasion
Russian president Vladimir Putin claims not to remember any threats from former U.S. President Donald Trump, asserting that such threats would only serve to motivate Russia. Speaking at a press conference following the BRICS summit in Kazan, Putin remarked on Thursday, October 24, that he "doesn't recall" conversations with Trump—now a Republican presidential candidate—during which Trump allegedly threatened to strike Moscow in response to a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This report comes from Russian media outlets.
"You can threaten anyone, but it's pointless to threaten Russia, as it only encourages us. However, I don't recall such a conversation with Mr. Trump," said Putin. Notably, former U.S. President Trump recently claimed he threatened to hit Moscow hard in the event of an invasion of Ukraine by the Russian leader. "I said, 'Vladimir, if you go into Ukraine, I'm going to hit you harder than anyone—right in the middle of Moscow,'" shared Trump. Despite their friendly relations, Trump noted, he insisted, "I said, 'We're friends. I don't want to do this, but I won't have a choice.' I outlined that it would be a strong hit." Adding a personal anecdote, Trump noted, "Because, you know, he lives under domes." According to Trump, the response he received from Putin was a reassurance of no intended invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has previously suggested that Putin had long harbored intentions to invade Ukraine, but that it didn’t happen sooner specifically due to Trump's own "stance." Additionally, Trump remarked that he was "very upset" with Putin.