(
The Hill) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Russia’s recognition of two breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine a “genius” move ahead of its military invasion.
In an interview on
“The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show,” Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics in eastern Ukraine on Monday was “smart” and “pretty savvy.”
“I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius,'” he said. “Putin declares a big portion of Ukraine as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful.”
“I said, ‘How smart is that?’ He’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper,” added Trump, who regularly praised and sought close ties with Putin during his time in office. “That’s the strongest peace force. We could use that on our southern border, that’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re going to keep peace all right.”