During his tenure, critics repeatedly accused Trump of treating Putin with kid gloves.
(Photo: Reuters)
Washington Former US President Donald Trump has described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in the Ukraine crisis as “brilliant” and “clever”. Regarding Putin’s recent decisions, Trump said in a conservative radio talk show on Tuesday: “This is brilliant.”
The Kremlin boss declares a large part of Ukraine independent and sends “peacekeeping troops” there. “How smart is that?” Referring to Putin, Trump continued: “This is a man who is very smart. I know him very well.”
At the same time, the Republican claimed that it would not have happened with him as president: “That would never have happened to us.” It would have been unthinkable with him in office, said Trump. He accused his successor, Joe Biden, of failing to deal with Russia.
When asked about Trump’s comment, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Tuesday evening (local time): “As a matter of principle, we try not to take advice from anyone who praises President Putin and his military strategy.”
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Putin recognized the independence of the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine on Monday. The Kremlin boss ordered the dispatch of Russian soldiers. He is planning an invasion of Ukraine for the second time since 2014. The West accuses him of violating international law.
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Trump had previously criticized Biden’s course in the Ukraine crisis and claimed that if he were president, tensions with Russia would never have escalated to such an extent: no one had ever been harder on Russia, and he and Putin would have respected each other.
Critics, on the other hand, had accused Trump of treating the Kremlin boss with kid gloves during his tenure. According to US investigative authorities, the Russian government interfered “in a comprehensive and systematic manner” in the 2016 US presidential election, from which Trump emerged victorious at the time.
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