Russian President Vladimir Putin warned President-elect Donald Trump to be “cautious” after assassination attempts. Putin praised Trump as an experienced and intelligent politician but said that “he is not safe now.”
Speaking to reporters after a summit in Kazakhstan on Thursday, Putin said he had been shocked by the way the US election campaign had unfolded. He cited “the absolutely uncivilised methods used to battle against Trump, up to and including an assassination attempt – and more than once”.
“By the way, in my opinion, he is not safe now,” Putin said.
“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.
Earlier this year in July, Trump sustained injuries during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. In a separate incident in September, authorities charged an individual with attempted assassination after being found with a rifle at one of Trump’s golf properties in Florida.
Putin, known for his own extensive security measures, expressed shock not only at these incidents but also at the criticism Trump’s family and children faced from political opponents during the US election campaign.
He described such tactics as “revolting” and noted that even “bandits” in Russia would not employ such methods.
Discussing the Biden administration’s decision to permit Kyiv to target Russia with Western missiles, which Putin characterised as an escalation in Ukraine, he suggested this could either serve as an opportunity for Trump to reverse or potentially complicate his relationship with Russia.
Nevertheless, Putin said that Trump would “find the solution” and affirmed Moscow’s willingness to engage in dialogue.
He also said that Russia would deploy its entire arsenal against Ukraine if the latter obtained nuclear capabilities. Following a New York Times report from the previous week, where unnamed Western officials hinted at President Joe Biden potentially providing Ukraine with nuclear weapons before the conclusion of his term.
“If the country which we are essentially at war with now becomes a nuclear power, what do we do? We will use all means of destruction available to Russia,” Putin said.
“If officially someone were to transfer something, then that would mean a violation of all the non-proliferation commitments they have made,” Putin said.
He stated that while it was nearly impossible for Ukraine to develop a nuclear weapon, the country might have the capability to create a “dirty bomb”- a conventional explosive infused with radioactive material. In such a scenario, he warned, Russia would respond accordingly, he added.
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