Former President Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday that he could lead a team to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia.
In several posts on Truth Social, Trump referenced the unprecedented leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines while offering ideas on what he could contribute to the situation.
In his first post, Trump claimed the pipeline had been sabotaged, which “could lead to major escalation, or War!”
“U.S. ‘Leadership’ should remain ‘cool, calm, and dry’ on the SABOTAGE of the Nord Stream Pipelines. This is a big event that should not entail a big solution, at least not yet,” the former president wrote.
Trump also repeated his claim that the Ukraine war would never have happened if he had been president and offered solutions to the situation.
“Do not make matters worse with the pipeline blowup. Be strategic, be smart (brilliant!), get a negotiated deal done NOW,” Trump wrote. “Both sides need and want it. The entire World is at stake. I will head up group???”
A representative at Trump’s post-presidential press office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Trump’s suggestion that he head up a team to de-escalate tensions with Russia stands in stark contrast to some statements he made in the early days of the Ukraine war.
In March, Trump said he would send nuclear submarines to go “up and down” Russia’s coast to pressure Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Trump also suggested that the US put Chinese flags on its fighter jets and use them to “bomb the shit” out of Russia.
Trump’s saber-rattling came after he commended Russian President Vladimir Putin for the latter’s actions in relation to Ukraine.
In February, Trump lauded Putin’s justification for invading Ukraine as “savvy” and “genius.” Later that month, Trump called Putin “smart” for supposedly “playing” President Joe Biden “like a drum.”
Trump’s comments on Wednesday were not the first time he has called for Russia and Ukraine to “figure out” a solution. In April, he said the two countries should negotiate peace “now not later when everyone will be DEAD!”
That same month, a 2019 clip surfaced of Trump suggesting to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he “get together” with Putin to solve their “problem,” which prompted a look of shock and disgust from the Ukrainian leader.
It is unclear how effective Trump would be as a negotiator, but he is known to have had significant ties with Russia. The former president spent decades trying to break ground in Moscow with his business. Last June, Putin praised Trump for being an “extraordinary” and “talented” individual last June.
Special counsel Robert Mueller probed Trump’s ties with Russia following accusations that the Russian government, under Putin’s direction, had helped Trump win the presidency in 2016 by waging an “influence campaign” against his rival, Hillary Clinton. For his part, Trump has denied any wrongdoing, calling the probe a hoax.
