UPDATE - Trump Warns Protracted Ukraine Conflict Could 'End Up With Nothing'

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th May, 2022) Former US President Donald Trump says the situation with Ukraine could deteriorate even further and is calling for a drop in energy prices, which he says will help weaken Russia.

"You are gonna end up with nothing, that whole country (Ukraine) is being obliterated," Trump told his supporters at a Saturday rally in Wyoming. "You may end up with a third world war because of the stupidity of what we are saying and what we are doing," he said.

Trump claimed that Russia's special military operation in Ukraine is getting powered by the money that the country gets from selling energy resources.

"The ruble is at an all-time high because they are taking in so much money. You want to stop the war - drive down the price of oil, drive down the price of energy," Trump said.

According to the former president, gasoline prices are now reaching $9 per gallon in some parts of the United States.

Trump claimed that under his administration, everything was done to achieve US energy independence and were he to stay in office, the United States would have surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia combined in terms of oil production, without the need to turn to Venezuela for help.

The former president also recalled that, while he was in office, neither Moscow, nor Beijing conducted any military action.

"Under (former president George W.) Bush they lost Georgia, and then under (former president Barack) Obama they lost Crimea and under (US President Joe) Biden they lost everything. And under Trump they lost nothing. Same thing with China," Trump said.

He claimed that, while in office, he allegedly told both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the United States was going to "hit you very hard" if Moscow or Beijing launched any military offensives.

"I am not sure they believed me... If they believed me 5 percent, that was enough," Trump said, adding that under the Biden administration, "the only thing that's keeping China out (of Taiwan) is they see how poorly Russia is doing."

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, after the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine. In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.