Donald Trump Has 'Obligations' to Those Who Brought Him to Power—Putin Ally

 

A key aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that Donald Trump is "obliged" to honor the promises he made during his presidential campaign to bring peace to Ukraine. Trump repeatedly claimed that he could end the Ukraine conflict "within 24 hours" if he were re-elected.

Nikolai Patrushev, a prominent figure within Putin’s inner circle and former Secretary of Russia's Security Council, emphasized this obligation in a recent interview with the Russian newspaper *Kommersant*. Patrushev stated, “To succeed in the elections, Donald Trump relied on certain influential groups to whom he now has obligations. As a responsible individual, he is bound to act on these commitments. During the campaign, he made numerous statements to attract voters who opposed the destructive policies of the current U.S. administration, both foreign and domestic.”

Patrushev remarked that while campaign promises often diverge from actual policies, January 2025, when the elected president takes office, will mark a time for concrete action. His comments came in response to questions about whether a Trump administration might offer “positive changes from Russia’s perspective.”

He also referenced Putin’s recent remarks at the Valdai Discussion Club, an international forum held in Russia, suggesting that Putin’s words conveyed a "greeting" to Washington ahead of a possible transition of power. According to Patrushev, Putin has shown a degree of respect for Trump, referencing the former president’s reaction to a July 13 assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, which Putin reportedly praised.

Patrushev further warned that while relations between Russia and the West could improve, tensions could also escalate if the U.S. and U.K. pursue actions like the suspected sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines to advance their own economic interests. Patrushev alleged that the U.S. and U.K. were responsible for the September 2022 attacks on Nord Stream 1 and 2, citing ongoing investigations and expressing skepticism that Ukraine alone could execute such a sophisticated underwater operation. He suggested that NATO special forces might be involved.

The Nord Stream pipelines, which connect Russia and Germany, remain at the center of controversy, with Swedish and Danish probes recently concluding without naming responsible parties, though a German investigation is still underway. German authorities have issued a European arrest warrant for a Ukrainian national linked to the attack, believed to have used a yacht, *Andromeda*, in the operation.

Patrushev also raised concerns that in the future, critical infrastructure such as undersea fiber-optic cables could become targets, potentially disrupting global energy and communication networks in a bid to destabilize the maritime transportation system. As chairman of Russia's maritime board, Patrushev remains a key strategist within Russia’s administration and a staunch supporter of Putin’s policies, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.