In a recent revelation, U.S. President Donald Trump detailed in a private meeting with donors how he would have threatened the leaders of Russia and China to avoid international military conflicts.
According to a CNBC report, audio obtained by CNN and shared by the authors of the book 2024: How Trump Retook the White House, and the Democrats Lost America, shows Trump stating that, if Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, his response would be severe, mentioning that he would «bomb Moscow.»
The threat to Putin over Ukraine
The meeting, held on May 14, 2024 at the Pierre Hotel in New York, captures Trump’s exact words:
If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb Moscow.»
The president added that he had no choice: «I’m telling you, I don’t have a choice.»
Despite the defiant stance, Trump emphasized that Putin did not fully believe in his threat, although he acknowledged that ‘he believed it to some extent, about 10%.’
Xi Jinping’s Response to Threats
In addition to his comments about Putin, Trump revealed that he had also issued similar threats against Chinese President Xi Jinping in an attempt to deter China from invading Taiwan.
According to the audio, Trump claimed that Xi perceived his threats as typical of a ‘crazy’ person, although no further reactions from the Chinese leader were detailed. Trump, for his part, indicated that there was never an issue with Xi stemming from his statements.
Context of the war in Ukraine
The audio also provides insight into how Trump felt regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which occurred in February 2022, during Joe Biden’s presidency. Despite Trump’s statements about his efforts to prevent the conflict, the invasion only materialized under Biden’s administration, as highlighted by a White House spokesperson in response to the CNN report.
As President Trump has reiterated time and again, Russia never dared to invade Ukraine while he was in office. This only occurred when Biden was in the White House,” the spokesperson stated.
Since his return to the presidency, Trump has intensified his rhetoric against Russia, sharply criticizing the war in Ukraine and highlighting the casualties on both sides.
