Former US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that recent events in Ukraine would have not been handled in the same way had they happened during his term.

In a statement, he said, “If properly handled, there was absolutely no reason that the situation currently happening in Ukraine should have happened at all. I know Vladimir Putin very well, and he would have never done during the Trump administration what he is doing now, no way!” 

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that recognizes the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics (DPR and LPR) as well as treaties of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance with the two republics. Russian Parliament ratified the documents on Tuesday.

The European Union and several Western countries have been threatening to impose new sanctions against Russia, while the United Kingdom sanctioned five Russian banks and three businessmen earlier in the day.

Donald Trump has accused the Biden administration of making Russia “very very rich” because of high oil prices.

On the matter, he said, “The weak sanctions are insignificant relative to taking over a country and a massive piece of strategically located land. Now it has begun, oil prices are going higher and higher, and Putin is not only getting what he always wanted, but getting, because of the oil and gas surge, richer and richer."

He noted that during his administration, the United States was energy independent and oil prices were low.

Russia’s recent decision to recognize DPR and LPR followed a deterioration of the situation on the line of contact between Ukraine and the breakaway republics. Russia has repeatedly denied any intention of invading Ukraine, but nevertheless, the West continued to militarize Ukraine, which in its turn, bombed the DPR and LPR over the past few days causing civilian and military casualties, without Russia even moving an inch.