CNN Reports ‘Putin Is Counting On Donald Trump to Win’ 2024 In His Ukraine War Plans, According to Top Officials

CNN anchor John Berman reported on GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie’s surprise visit to Ukraine on Friday and also noted a new CNN report detailing concerns among top U.S. and European officials that Russia’s Vladimir Putin is factoring a Trump win in 2024 into his war plans.

“New this morning, Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie went to Ukraine. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,” Berman reported, noting Christie has long supported U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

“His trip comes on the heels of a new CNN report indicating the top U.S. and European officials are concerned about how Russian President Vladimir Putin is factoring in the 2024 U.S. presidential election into his war planning. They believe Putin is counting on Donald Trump to win and if not, Donald Trump, another Republican. And he believes that would mean the US would cut support for Ukraine,” Berman added.

The report Berman referred to was published early Friday morning and is a deep dive into the current state of play in the war, written by Kylie Atwood, Natasha Bertrand, Jennifer Hansler, and Kevin Liptak.

The report quotes from top U.S. defense officials:

One US official said they have “no doubt” that Putin is “trying to hold out” until the 2024 election. Another source familiar with the intelligence said “it’s sort of the elephant in the room” for the US, Ukraine and Europe.

“Putin knows Trump will help him. And so do the Ukrainians and our European partners,” the source said. “So even though we haven’t seen anything explicitly to that effect, you have to assume, I believe, that everyone is thinking it.”
A European diplomat told CNN that they believe trying to ride out the war in Ukraine until the US election “is exactly Putin’s plan.”

The timing of the U.S. election has long concerned observers of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, raising concerns of an even more prolonged conflict.

“The election next year complicates things because the Russians think they have a light at the end of the tunnel. It encourages Putin to think that they can outlast the Americans because political support for Ukraine will be compromised if Trump wins,” said former US ambassador to Poland Daniel Fried to CNN.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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