Former US President Donald Trump has been criticized for his refusal to express support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. During a town hall event in New Hampshire, Trump repeatedly dodged questions from host Kaitlan Collins on whether he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the 15-month war. Chris Christie, a former Republican candidate for president, took to Twitter to call Trump “Putin’s puppet” for his lack of support for Ukraine.
“I don’t think in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people and breaking down this country,” Trump told Collins when asked to say on the record that he supported Ukraine.
When Collins asked Trump again if he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the conflict, he replied, “I want everyone to stop dying. They are dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying.”
Trump also made the bogus claim that he could end the conflict in 24 hours if he were back in the Oval Office. “You need the power of the presidency to do it,” he said. Trump also boasted that the conflict would never have happened if he had remained in office. “If I were president, this never would have happened,” he said.
Trump’s relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was also brought up during the town hall event. Trump tried to claim that he had “a very good relationship” with Zelensky. However, he was impeached for a call in which he tried to get Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden in return for weapons. Collins reminded viewers that Trump had been impeached by Congress.
Collins also asked Trump if he still had “tremendous respect” for Russian President Vladimir Putin. “He made a tremendous mistake. He is a smart guy…they want you to say he is a stupid person, okay, he is not a stupid person, he is very smart and cunning and Putin made a bad mistake in my opinion,” Trump replied.
Christie, who ran against Trump in the Republican primary in 2016, was quick to criticize Trump’s lack of support for Ukraine. “Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia. More proof that he continues to be Putin’s puppet,” he tweeted.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. The conflict has since escalated into a full-scale war that has claimed the lives of thousands of people.
The lack of support from Trump for Ukraine has been a point of contention since he took office. During his presidency, Trump was criticized for his cozy relationship with Putin and his lack of action on Ukraine. His refusal to express support for Ukraine during the town hall event only served to further fuel criticism of his relationship with Putin.
In the end, Trump’s claims of being able to end the conflict in 24 hours and his lack of support for Ukraine did little to reassure those concerned about the ongoing conflict. As the war continues to rage on, the need for a resolution becomes increasingly urgent.
