Topline
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin made a "genius" decision when he recognized two pro-Kremlin breakaway states in eastern Ukraine and ordered Russian troops across the border on a so-called "peacekeeping" mission, while slamming President Joe Biden's response to the crisis.
Then President Donald Trump chats with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin as they attend the APEC ... [+]
Key Facts
Trump lauded the move in an interview on the conservative radio program The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, calling Putin "a guy who's very savvy."
The ex-president claimed Putin would have never thought to invade while he was president, blasting Biden for what he called “no response” sanctions, though Trump did not suggest what punishments he thought Russia should receive.
The comments marked the second time Tuesday Trump criticized Biden while largely giving Putin a pass, in a major shift from what had been nearly a month of silence from the ex-president on the escalating crisis in Ukraine.
In a statement Tuesday morning, Trump noted Russia "has become very rich during the Biden Administration" due to the rising price of oil, appearing to blame the administration for the spike despite broad global supply and demand issues.
Before Tuesday, Trump hadn't released a statement about Ukraine since January 24, when he sent a two sentence message saying: "What’s happening with Russia and Ukraine would never have happened under the Trump Administration. Not even a possibility!"
Trump was often criticized during his presidency, even by members of his own party, for appearing to have a cozy relationship with Putin and other autocratic leaders.
Crucial Quote
"That's the strongest peace force I've ever seen," Trump said. "There were more army tanks than I've ever seen. They're gonna keep peace all right."
Key Background
Putin on Monday recognized two pro-Russian breakaway states in eastern Ukraine as independent countries and ordered troops to move into the region. Western leaders swiftly condemned the move, with Biden signing an executive order Monday banning new American investment in the two regions Russia recognized, the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic. Additional sanctions came from the European Union and United Kingdom Tuesday targeting Russian financial services.
What To Watch For
White House deputy national security advisor Jon Finer said Tuesday U.S. officials believe Putin's actions mark the “beginning of an invasion.” Some 190,000 Russian troops are now believed to be along Ukraine’s borders.
Tangent
Instead of focusing on Ukraine, Trump’s statements over the past few weeks have continued to fixate on conspiracy theories around why he lost the 2020 presidential election, as well as repeating a misleading narrative widely repeated by right-wing media claiming that Hillary Clinton somehow spied on him during the early part of his presidency.
Further Reading
Why Are Oil Prices So High and Will They Stay That Way? (New York Times)
Russia Authorizes Putin’s Request For Military Deployment Outside Russia (Forbes)
Russia Sanctions Tracker: ‘First Barrage’ Of Penalties Announced By E.U., U.K. (Forbes)
Trump’s Latest Claim That Clinton ‘Spied’ On His Campaign, Explained (Forbes)
