You would almost think Trump was beholden to Putin by the way he treated Ukraine while he was President. Why else would he do everything in his power to weaken Ukraine and undercut Zelensky at every opportunity? And why did Fox News and the GOP praise every pro-Russian/anti-Ukraine thing he did?
Perhaps it's best not to ask such questions of a genius of Trump's caliber. Instead, just read this Washington Post piece titled Opinion: "Five vile things Trump did to Zelensky and Ukraine that you forgot about," and marvel at Trump's masterful moves.
- Spread propaganda about Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election
- Ousted the well-regarded U.S. ambassador to Ukraine
- Froze military assistance to Ukraine
- Withheld a White House meeting from Zelensky
- Turned Ukraine policy over to Giuliani
As early as 2017, Trump began voicing the conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, had interfered in the 2016 presidential election. This was one of the things Trump pressured Zelensky to "investigate" while withholding military aid.
It's complete nonsense, and crucially, it echoed Russian propaganda that had a geopolitical purpose. Putin himself reportedly put this idea in Trump's head. And Fiona Hill, then a top national security official, testified that this propaganda helped Russia by deflecting attention from Russia's own interference in 2016 and by dividing the United States from an ally.
And don't forget: At the time, some Republican lawmakers lent support to Trump's lie about Ukraine, thus advancing "Russian interests," as Hill put it.
