On Thursday, May 16th, former US President Donald Trump made remarks outside a Manhattan courthouse in New York, stating that Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were meeting, strengthening China-Russia relations, and brewing trouble, saying that “they are getting together to cause trouble.”
According to a report by “The Hill,” Trump said on Thursday, “I know President Xi of China very well. I know Putin of Russia very well. They are now working on a plan together, coming together to cause trouble. Because that is their ultimate goal: causing trouble.”
Trump pointed out that Xi Jinping is intent on taking over Taiwan: “Look at what President Xi said today. He completely expects to take over Taiwan. The statement he made today is a major one.”
Trump also listed other issues he is concerned about, such as inflation, economy, and electric vehicle authorization, but he believes the meeting between the Chinese and Russian leaders could be “worse than anything else.”
Putin arrived in Beijing earlier on Thursday, marking his first state visit within his new term. Putin and Xi Jinping are expected to discuss international issues and celebrate their countries’ relationship.
Putin’s visit comes as Russia launches a major offensive in Ukraine, considered one of the largest offensives since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, leading to the forced evacuation of thousands of civilians from the northeast region.
According to “The Washington Post,” Xi Jinping is very interested in Putin’s takeover of Ukraine, especially because of the implications it has for capturing Taiwan.
Trump made the above remarks a day after a day of court hearings in a criminal hush money case. He was under a gag order in this case, so he had to be cautious in discussing the ongoing trial. He often mentioned the temperature of the Manhattan courtroom, suggesting that the court intentionally kept it low, saying, “I’m sitting in this refrigerator.”
“I’m sitting here, listening to a case that even people from CNN and MSDNC don’t think should be brought up. I’ve been sitting here for almost four weeks, and we still have a long way to go,” Trump continued.