Russia and Putin · 2016 campaign · № 7

On Russia

Said in a debate he was '100%' for Putin's campaign in Syria and that Ukraine's neighbors should carry the load

“if Putin wants to go and knocked the hell out of ISIS, I am all for it, 100%, and I can't understand how anybody would be against it”
Said
, Republican presidential debate, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Fox Business Network)
Subject
Russia in Syria
Type
NATO and allies
Topic
Ukraine & Russia
Era
2016 campaign

What happened

Moderator Maria Bartiromo noted that Russia had invaded Ukraine and put troops in Syria and asked what he would do about Russian aggression. Trump said he had 'got to know him very well because we were both on 60 Minutes'; he later acknowledged on Twitter that they had appeared in 'separate pieces' of the broadcast. Jeb Bush answered, 'Donald's wrong on this. He is absolutely wrong on this,' and said the idea that Putin would take out ISIS was 'like a board game'. On Ukraine, Trump said he was 'all for protecting Ukraine' but that Germany and 'countries that are surrounding the Ukraine' were not doing anything and 'we can't continue to be the policeman of the world'. He had made the same argument on CNN on August 11, 2015: 'why isn't Germany and Europe fighting for Ukraine?'

Sources

  1. Republican Candidates Debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin The American Presidency Project, Nov 10, 2015
  2. Tweet by @realDonaldTrump, November 13, 2015 Twitter, Nov 13, 2015
  3. Interview: Chris Cuomo Interviews Donald Trump on CNN's New Day - August 11, 2015 Roll Call / Factba.se, Aug 11, 2015