Even under Trump, Putin will not be stopped
To the Editor:
Comments I have heard lately like, “If Trump was in charge now, Putin would not have invaded Ukraine,” couldn’t be further from the truth. This letter to the editor that appeared in The Land newspaper I received is so spot-on that I decided to submit it to the Rock County Star Herald.
Donald Reker
Jasper
The following is the letter referenced and submitted by Reker:
To the Editor:
There is the appearance that Putin and Trump worked as a tag team to undermine Ukraine. Trump illegally asked Russia for help in his 2016 campaign. When Trump entered office, he worked to lift the current sanctions on Russia in exchange for nothing. Trump said he would not necessarily defend new NATO members from a Russian attack. Trump gave Putin what he wanted in Syria. Trump left Putin with full dominance and a bi-partisan House majority voted to rebuke Trump for it. Trump attacked U.S. allies for not admitting Russia into the G7 economic group. Putin and Trump held several private conversations with no note taking. Trump talked about pulling the United States out of NATO but was warned by his aides that it would be politically dangerous. Trump reportedly said, ‘We’ll do it in the second term.’
Newly elected President Zelensky resisted Trump’s blackmail attempt. So Trump illegally refused to give Ukraine the military aid that Congress had approved.
U.S. intelligence agencies blamed Russia for interference in the 2016 presidential race. Trump and Putin blamed Ukraine. Trump often attacked Ukraine as “corrupt.” This weakened American support for Ukraine and emboldened Putin.
Trump attempted to smear the Biden-Ukraine connection as corrupt. Republicans’ own investigation found Trump’s claims to be baseless. John Bolton said that if Trump had been re-elected, Trump would have simply given Ukraine to Putin. Thank goodness for President Biden.
Greg Rendahl
Ostrander, Minnesota
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