Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised concerns over the safety of Donald Trump after repeated assassination attempts on the US president elect. Speaking at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday, Putin took the opportunity to praise the “smart and experienced” Donald Trump but warned that Trump was not safe. He also spoke in detail about the recent escalation in the Ukraine conflict.
Describing Trump as “clever,” Putin said, “As far as I can imagine, the newly elected president is an intelligent and already quite experienced person.” Putin also mentioned the previous assassination attempts on Trump’s life and his treatment by opponents as reasons to be cautious. “Well probably, just like me you’re amazed not by the fact that absolutely uncivilized means have been used against Trump all the way up to assassination attempts. Numerous assassination attempts. And I think he’s not safe, even now,” he added.
Putin: “I am amazed that absolutely uncivilized means have been used against Trump, all the way up to assassination attempts, numerous assassination attempts. I think he is not safe even now.”
Pray for President Trump’s safety. pic.twitter.com/EAMvGmUYp1
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 28, 2024
“Unfortunately, in the history of the United States various incidents have happened. I think he (Trump) is intelligent and I hope he’s cautious and understands this,” he added. Putin also commented that he was appalled by the criticism directed at Trump’s family and children by political opponents during the US election campaign. Describing such behaviour as “revolting”, Putin remarked that even “bandits” in Russia would not stoop to such tactics.
Putin was referencing the dehumanizing campaigns against Trump in the run up to the 2024 election, that resulted in multiple assassination attempts on the Republican leader. The most dangerous one occurred on July 13, when Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania where the shots ended up missing its target by millimeters, injuring the former president’s ear in the process.
Another confirmed assassination attempt on Trump’s life occurred on September 13, 2024, when Ryan Wesley Routh broke into Trump International Golf Club and staked out for several hours before Trump appeared to play golf. Despite carrying a rifle with him, Routh was unable to take a shot at the former president as Secret Service guards spotted him in bushes by the side of the course.
Cases on Donald Trump
On November 5 Republican leader Donald Trump won a decisive victory in the US elections, beating out the challenge of Democrat Kamala Harris. For the past few years Trump has been under extreme pressure by the US authorities, spurred on by the Democrat party under President Joe Biden. Under the Biden administration Donald Trump became the first former president in American history to be charged with either state or federal crimes, with four separate indictments issued between March and August of 2023.
Since Trump’s re-election special counsel Jack Smith announced on November 25 that he was dropping both his election subversion case and the classified documents case against President-elect Donald Trump. Smith had been in talks with Justice Department leadership about how to end both cases. Trump has said he would fire Smith once he takes charge at the office again, shattering previous norms around special counsel investigations.
On November 22, 2024, the judge in Trump’s hush money case indefinitely postponed his sentencing for the guilty verdicts rendered on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump is expected to seek to vacate his convictions after the US Supreme Court determined in June that he should receive broad immunity for official acts during his time in office.
Putin Hopes for a resolution of the Ukraine conflict
Speaking about the Ukraine conflict the Russian President offered hopes for a solution, “As far as I can imagine, the newly elected president is an intelligent and already quite experienced person. I think he will find a solution”.
Putin also observed that the U.S. might be escalating tensions with Russia as a way to complicate relations between the two countries so it will be difficult for Donald Trump to resolve the conflict once he assumes office. Citing the Biden administration’s recent decision to give Ukraine an advantage. He suggested this could either be a strategy to provide Trump with something to reverse.
The Ukrainian military had recently launched multiple US-made tactical ballistic missiles at Russia’s Bryansk Region, some of which have been intercepted. The major escalation came at the back of President Vladimir Putin’s dire warning to the West and Ukraine, that Russia has revised its nuclear strategy and it would take any Western nations-backed attack on its territory as a joint operation. The Ukraine-Russia conflict is sure to broaden now, as Ukraine decides to test Moscow’s resolve.
The Russian President also threatened more missile launches to attack Ukraine in response, “We will use the means at our disposal. We do not exclude the use of Oreshnik (missiles) against the (Ukrainian) military, against military industrial facilities, or against decision-making centers, including in Kyiv, bearing in mind that the Kyiv authorities today continue to attempt to strike our vital facilities.”
Trump’s promises
Trump has been extremely vocal about solving the long-drawn Ukraine-Russia war. According to his running mate JD Vance, Trump would start negotiations with Kremlin, Ukraine, and the European Union (EU) stakeholders if he wins the election to achieve “a peaceful settlement”.
“Ukraine retains its independent sovereignty, Russia gets the guarantee of neutrality from Ukraine – it doesn’t join NATO, it doesn’t join some of these allied institutions. That is what the deal is ultimately going to look something like,” he said.