Trump says 'I stand as the only president of 21st century...' as Russia pounds on Ukraine
Blasting US President Joe Biden, former president Donald Trump on Saturday said he was praying for Ukrainians whose land has been invaded by Russia. "I stand as the only president of the 21st century on whose watch Russia did not invade another country," Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida, hinting that he may run for president in 2024.
Follow live updates of Russia-Ukraine war
"Under Bush, Russia invaded Georgia. Under Obama, Russia took Crimea. Under Biden, Russia invaded Ukraine," Trump said.
"I have no doubt Putin made his decision to ruthlessly invade Ukraine after watching pathetic withdrawal from Afghanistan," Trump added.
Earlier, Trump praised Putin and described him as "genius" and "pretty savvy". On Saturday, which was the third day of the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump said he sympathises with Ukrainians and also praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"As everyone understands, this horrific disaster would never have happened if our election was not rigged and if I was the president," he said, to which a woman in the packed audience responded: "You are the president!", Reuters reported.
"The real problem is that our leaders are dumb, dumb. So dumb," Trump said as he referred to his past praise of Putin, adding, "The world is always safer when America has a strong president. The world is always in danger with a weak American president."
Joe Biden reacted to Trump calling Putin a genius and said, "I put as much stock in Trump saying that Putin is a genius than when he called himself a stable genius."
(With agency inputs)
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