Trump news: State Department has ‘no words’ after ex-president praises Putin’s attack on Ukraine

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Ad trolls Trump over January 6 developments

As Vladimir Putin attacks Ukraine with ground forces and airstrikes, a State Department spokesperson said he had “no words” in response to praise for the Russian autocrat from Donald Trump.

Twice in two days, the former president has hailed Mr Putin as “smart” and blamed Joe Biden for what is happening.

“He [Mr Putin] was going to be satisfied with a piece and now he sees the weakness and the incompetence and the stupidity of this administration,” Mr Trump said while speaking with Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham. “As an American I am angry about it and I am saddened by it. And it all happened because of a rigged election.”

In another video clip from Wednesday night that was circulated on social media, Mr Trump can be heard saying: “Trump said Putin is smart. He’s taken over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Trump hailed Mr Putin as “savvy” and called his move on Ukraine “genius”.

Key PointsShow latest update 1645729224Top Republicans condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine – days after Trump called Putin a ‘genius’

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy squarely placed the blame for the invasion on Mr Putin’s shoulders and did not even mention the Democratic president.

Oliver O’Connell24 February 2022 19:00

1645727424George W Bush warns of ‘danger that Putin poses’

George W Bush has condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine, describing it as “the gravest security crisis on the European continent since World War II”.

Oliver O’Connell24 February 2022 18:30

1645725513Confused Trump believes US has invaded Ukraine in Fox call-in

Former US President Donald Trump appeared to be under the impression that the US had invaded Ukraine during an exchange with Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

Bashing President Joe Biden for his handling of the crisis, Mr Trump and Ms Ingraham discussed the invasion, with Ms Ingraham repeating a report about an amphibious landing in Odessa, which Mr Trump appeared to think was a reference to US troops.

Harriet Sinclair reports.

Oliver O’Connell24 February 2022 17:58

1645723824Romney says he was right about Russia in 2012 and mocks Obama

In 2012, Mr Romney, who was running against President Barack Obama, criticizing his Democratic opponent for being caught on a hot mic telling then Russian president Dmitry Medvedev that after the 2012 election, he would have more “flexibility” to negotiate on missile defense.

“This is to Russia, this is without question, our number one geopolitical foe,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer at the time. “They fight every cause for the world’s worst actors.”

Oliver O’Connell24 February 2022 17:30

1645722024Alexander Vindman likens Tucker Carlson to WWII propagandists Tokyo Rose in Twitter spat

Lt Col Alexander Vindman tore into the Fox host in a pair of tweets that furiously accused Carlson of trying to weaken the US and the west while spreading pro-Russian propaganda.

Oliver O’Connell24 February 2022 17:00

1645720714Is McCarthy breaking with Trump on Ukraine?

Kevin McCarthy has issued a statement condemning the invasion of Ukraine and insisting that “Putin must be held accountable for his actions”. It makes a stark contrast with Donald Trump’s description of Mr Putin’s claiming of Donbas and Luhansk as a “genius move”.

Andrew Naughtie24 February 2022 16:38

1645719634Giuliani rates above Biden

Sometime Trump attorney and leading election fraud conspiracy theorist Rudy Giuliani has offered his two cents on the difference between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, and it’s perhaps not surprising which of the two he rates more highly.

Andrew Naughtie24 February 2022 16:20

1645718494CPAC, chairman: conference will go ahead as planned

Matt Schlapp, head of the American Conservative Union, says that the annual CPAC conference beginning in Florida today will be going ahead without changing its agenda despite the Russian attack on Ukraine.

As Andrew Feinberg reports from Orlando:

[Mr Schlapp] said the programming for the group’s yearly confab, which is organized around the theme “Awake not Woke,” already has a strong foreign policy focus, with a number of “very prominent” speakers such as former Director of National Intelligence Richard Grinnell, ex- Trump national security adviser Robert O’Brien, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and other former Trump administration officials.

“That’t even get into the officials who are here,” he said, adding later that he expects “every one” of the panels featuring ex-Trump national security officials to address “what’s going on with Putin and Ukraine”.

Andrew Naughtie24 February 2022 16:01

1645715614Biden to speak on Ukraine

The White House has confirmed Joe Biden will address the nation on Ukraine in just over two hours’ time.

Andrew Naughtie24 February 2022 15:13

1645715609Biden to speak on Ukraine

The White House has confirmed Joe Biden will address the nation on Ukraine in just over two hours’ time.

Andrew Naughtie24 February 2022 15:13

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