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Trump claims Vladimir Putin ready to do THIS huge thing for him if elected: ‘We will be paying nothing’
As US Presidential elections are inching closer, Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that Russia's Vladimir Putin is willing to do one major thing for him.
As US Presidential elections are inching closer, former President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to do one major thing for him.
Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated that he will use his strong ties with Putin to release Wall Street journalist Evan Gershkovich from a Russian jail.
Last year in March, Gershkovich was jailed in Russia on spying charges, which the reporter and the Biden administration have strongly rejected. While he has been in a Moscow jail for over a year, there is no scheduled date for his trial.
According to Trump, the American reporter would be freed immediately after the presidential election in November, when he aims to unseat incumbent President Joe Biden and return to the White House. He claimed that Putin will do that for him, but “not for anyone else” if gets elected to the White House.
“Evan Gershkovich, the Reporter from The Wall Street Journal, who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately after the Election, but definitely before I assume Office. He will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY,” Trump wrote.
“Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!”
On many occasions, Trump, who has voiced respect for Putin during his 2017-2021 administration, claimed he could stop Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of returning to the White House. He, however, has not specified how he would accomplish this.
Reacting to Trump's Truth Social post shared on X, one person wrote: The question is: Why would Putin do that for Trump only? I can think of a couple of things… #TrumpIsATraitor."
“What else is Putin doing to help influence the election for you? Things you claim he won't do for anybody else. A dictator to dictator deals. Putting my money on because he knows that you will hand him Ukraine,” another user reacted.
“What a weird thing to say. Internal polling must be REALLY bad. It feels like a hostage negotiating letter,” a third user chimed in.
Also Read: In interview, Tucker Carlson asks Russia's Vladimir Putin about jailed WSJ reporter, his reply
Here's what Russia has to say on Trump's claims
In his post, Trump made no mention of his interactions with Putin or the reasons he believed the Kremlin leader would free Gershkovich.
Reacting to Trump's statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the Russian President has “naturally not had contacts with Donald Trump”, NY POST reported.
Peskov underlined previous statements of the Kremlin that any discussion with the United States regarding a prisoner exchange must take place "in complete silence" and absolute discretion."
In February, Putin also suggested that he could be freed in exchange for a Russian imprisoned in Germany on murder charges.
