“Helsinki” trends on Twitter as Republicans accuse Biden of Ukraine’s crisis are reminded of Trump’s devastating meeting with Putin
Continued tensions in Ukraine have inspired discussion on social media about the attitude of former President Donald Trump towards Russian leader Vladimir Putin, especially during their infamous meeting in 2018 in Finland.
Starting Tuesday, hundreds of people tweeted the “Trump” and “Helsinki” messages together.
At the Helsinki summit, Trump said he believed Putin’s “very strong and powerful”Denies interfering in the 2016 election, which contradicts the findings of U.S. intelligence.
“I have President Putin, he just said it is not Russia. I say this. I see no reason why it should be,” Trump said as he stood next to the Russian president. “So I have great confidence in my intelligence, but I will tell you that President Putin was very strong and powerful in his denial today.”
The comments sparked quite a stir at the time, especially given the international intrigue element of Robert Mueller’s special prosecution investigation, and they are once again raising waves now that everyone’s eyes are on Vladimir Putin as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.
In January, Trump claimed, “What is happening to Russia and Ukraine would never have happened during the Trump administration. Not even possible!” But many who were online were not so sure.
“To any Republican who accuses President Biden of causing this conflict, remember this famous line Donald Trump said in Helsinki,” lawyer and Democrat strategist Aaron Parnas wrote on Twitter on Monday, quoting Trump’s approval of Putin’s refusal.
Former Congressman Joe Walsh responded to GOP Senator Marco Rubio’s comments accusing President Biden of weakness to Russia on Twitter on Monday: “Was it weak when Trump gave Syria to Russia? Was it weak when he tried to break up NATO? Was it weak when he kissed Putin’s feet in Helsinki? Was it weak when he moved the 2016 GOP platform to ignore Ukraine? Was it weak when he refused to provide military assistance to Ukraine? “
Author David Weissman stressed Trump has worked hard to conceal the content of his conversations with Putin from the public and even members of their own administration, including taking over interpreters’ notes, instructing linguists not to discuss what had happened with other government officials, and having discussions with Mr Putin on the sidelines of world events.
“What happened to the translator of the Trump-Putin meeting (sic) in Helsinki in 2018?” Mr Weissman wrote. “As everything escalates between Russia and Ukraine, I can’t help but wonder what was said between Trump and Putin.”
When reporters put pressure on his relationship with the Russian leader, Trump said, “What I tell him is none of your business.”
Outside of the political rockers, however, both administrations came to a relatively similar conclusion Policy towards Putin and Ukraine: sanction for Russians tied to the country’s aggression; directing military aid to Ukrainian forces; Maintaining the United States prolongedif vague, support for possible Ukraine’s NATO membership; and pushing backwards Russian landmark Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe.