Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the war in Ukraine would not have begun if Donald Trump had been U.S. president in 2022. Speaking alongside the former president at a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, Putin declared, “When President Trump says that if he was the president back then there would be no war, I’m quite sure it would indeed be so. I can confirm that.” Putin added that during his last contact with the previous U.S. administration in 2022 he had urged Washington to avoid reaching a “point of no return,” but said his warnings were ignored. He described his relationship with Trump as “very good and businesslike,” characterizing their Alaska talks as result-oriented while expressing interest in ending the Ukraine conflict. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has killed tens of thousands and roiled global energy and grain markets. Putin’s public endorsement of Trump’s long-standing claim that the war could have been averted under his watch comes as diplomatic efforts continue, though the leaders did not announce any concrete proposals for a cease-fire.