For reference: Trump spent more than four years undermining Ukraine and promoting Russian interests [View all]

[EarlG]

When you hear idiots trying to make the "Putin would never have invaded if Trump were president" argument...

Trump's campaign manager was a pro-Putin stooge who previously helped the Kremlin install a puppet government in Ukraine.

Trump's former campaign chief worked for an anti-NATO party and a politician who fled the country amid charges of corruption and collusion with Russia.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-did-ex-trump-aide-paul-manafort-really-do-ukraine-n775431

Trump stated that Putin was a stronger leader than the U.S. president.

During the forum — where the candidates appeared separately in front of an audience made up largely of veterans — Trump suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a better leader than President Barack Obama.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-putin-leader-obama-military-town-hall/story?id=41936057

Trump had the Republican Party platform changed to water down support for Ukraine.

Diana Denman, a Republican delegate who supported arming U.S. allies in Ukraine, has told people that Trump aide J.D. Gordon said at the Republican Convention in 2016 that Trump directed him to support weakening that position in the official platform.

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/04/568310790/2016-rnc-delegate-trump-directed-change-to-party-platform-on-ukraine-support

Trump attempted to extort President Zelenskyy by refusing to provide assistance to Ukraine.

Trump’s personal goal, however, was to hold Ukraine hostage and risk the lives of its people and soldiers until Zelensky would agree to stand in front of a television camera and lie for the benefit of one Donald J. Trump.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/01/30/trump-impeachment-blackmail-extortion-conspiracy-column/4612952002/

After Russia was expelled from the G8 for invading Crimea, Trump repeatedly praised Putin on the world stage and publicly stated that he wanted Russia back in the G8.

The UK and Canada have opposed Russia's return to the G7, deepening a rift over US President Donald Trump's wish for the country to rejoin. ... The president said the G7's "outdated group of countries" should be expanded to include others, including Russia.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52885178

Trump publicly stated that he trusted Putin more than he trusted U.S. intelligence agencies.

In a statement issued by his Save America campaign, Mr Trump also said he would trust Russia over "sleezebags" and "lowlifes" [in] the US intelligence agencies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/donald-trump-says-he-trusts-vladimir-putin-more-than-us-intelligence-and-asks-joe-biden-to-send-his-warmest-regards/ar-AAKVqyd

Trump repeatedly undermined NATO...

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Trump’s European tour was how much the tone of near-docile respect to Putin, and to Russia, stood in stark contrast to the insults he dished out over the previous six days to the EU, his declared foe, and to Nato, May and Angela Merkel.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/16/trump-shows-trusts-ex-kgb-agent-putin-more-than-us-intelligence

...to the point where he was threatening to completely pull the U.S. out of the treaty, which would have been Putin's dream scenario.

Donald Trump was considering pulling out of Nato and cutting the US’s alliance with South Korea if he won the 2020 election, according to an account of his private meetings with top aides.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-nato-south-korea-book-b1883457.html

Even now Trump is sitting on the sidelines cheering on Putin as he invades Ukraine.

Less than a day after Putin ordered Russian troops to enter parts of Ukraine he claims are independent, Trump went on a conservative radio show and called the move "genius."

https://local12.com/news/nation-world/former-president-donald-trump-applauds-russian-president-vladimir-putin-action-toward-ukraine-calls-it-genius-russia-invasion-conflict-attack-invade-kremlin-army-tanks-peace-independent-land

Putin didn't need to invade Ukraine when Trump was president because Trump was already giving him everything he wanted on a silver platter. If Trump had won re-election, there's a good chance that he would have actually tried to pull the U.S. out of NATO, which would have left Europe completely at Putin's mercy. Why would Putin invade Ukraine when there was a chance that could have happened?

Putin only chose now to invade because after four years of Trump's weak leadership, Biden was rebuilding international support against Russia. Putin's invasion is an act of desperation.