Former President Trump told the Washington Examiner in an interview that he is “surprised” that Russian President Vladimir Putin followed up on his threat to invade Ukraine.
Why it’s important: Trump, who maintained close ties with Putin during his presidency, has condemned the invasion as a “crime against humanity” but called Putin “very knowledgeable” in recognizing two breakaway “republics” in eastern Ukraine as independent two days before Russia forces launched an attack on the entire country.
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What he says: “I’m surprised,” he told the examiner on Tuesday. “I thought he was negotiating when he sent his troops to the border. I thought he was negotiating.”
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“I thought it was a tough way to negotiate, but a smart way to negotiate,” Trump continued.
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“I figured he would make a good deal, like everyone else does with the United States and the other people they usually trade with – you know, like any trade deal. We never made a good trade deal before I came along, he added.
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“And then he went in – and I think he’s changed. I think he’s changed. It’s a very sad thing for the world. He’s changed a lot.”
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Trump said he gets a “bad rap” on his relationship with Putin. “I have been very, very hard on Putin,” he said. “At the same time, I got along really well with him. But I got along with most people [world leaders] very good.”
Nothing worthwhile: Former National Security Adviser John Bolton said in an interview earlier this month that it is inaccurate to say that Trump’s behavior “deterred the Russians.”
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“In almost every case,” Trump would complain that the United States was “too harsh” on Russia, Bolton said.
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Trump has also been accused of withholding funding for Ukraine’s military to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Biden family. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) Says the move directly damaged Ukraine’s ability to defend itself now.
Go deeper: The latest on the Russia-Ukraine crisis
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