Note that fmr Pres Trump's comment about handing a NATO country over to Pres Putin comes only a few days after the Pres Putin interview in which Pres Putin said that Poland asked Hitler to invade it.
... The controversial interview in Moscow, released on Thursday, sparked a wave of mockery as Putin lectured Carlson, talking through Russian history from the 9th century to the present day.
Some commentators alleged that while talking through the Soviet campaign in World War II, Putin claimed that Adolf Hitler had been "forced" to invade Poland in 1939.
The Claim
A post on X, formerly Twitter, by former Ukrainian Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Anton Gerashchenko, on February 9, 2024, viewed 755,000 times, said: "Putin said the Poles forced Hitler to attack them in 1939.
"Hitler just wanted to 'realize his plans' and Poland was 'uncooperative' and 'forced' Hitler to attack and start World War II, Putin said.
"So, 1939, late August.
"Hitler: Poland, we want to annex you, agree!
"Poland: We don't agree, we are a sovereign state and will remain so.
"Hitler: You force me to conquer you by force. I declare war against you. God knows, it's your fault!
"And Putin says: Hitler had no choice but to start with Poland. ...