Sen. Mitt Romney mentioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "small, feral-eyed man" in an interview on CNN.
through REUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin was ridiculed by present and former US officers Sunday as “delusional” and a “small, feral-eyed man” who obtained greater than he bargained for by launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“We’re seeing a small, feral-eyed man who was making an attempt to form the world within the picture the place, as soon as once more, Russia can be an empire, and that’s not going to occur,” Sen. Mitt Romney mentioned on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“The individuals of the world see him and see Russia for what it's, and so they say, ‘No, we are going to struggle for freedom,’ ” the Utah Republican mentioned.
Russian troops are going through fierce opposition from Ukrainian forces as they attempt to take the capital of Kyiv and different giant cities as President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to rally his nation’s residents. The Ukrainian president has refused affords from the US to evacuate, saying, “The struggle is right here; I want ammunition, not a journey.”
Zelensky, a onetime TV comic who performed a president, has been hailed as a hero and stands in stark distinction to Putin, Romney mentioned.
“The world acknowledges the distinction between good and evil right here,” Romney mentioned.
“The world is behind the individuals of Ukraine. … The Russian authorities is a pariah, and your entire world must be protesting and letting Russia understand how badly they’re seen on the world stage.”
The US, European Union and a variety of international locations have slapped sanctions on Putin, Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russian banks and the nation’s oligarchs who make up Putin’s inside circle.
After sending 1000's of Russian troops into Ukraine with the goal to topple Zelensky, Putin then upped the ante by suggesting Sunday that the battle may go nuclear when he ordered his navy to place its nuclear forces on excessive alert due to “aggressive statements” by Western leaders.
“Western international locations aren’t solely taking unfriendly actions towards our nation within the financial sphere, however high officers from main NATO members made aggressive statements concerning our nation,” Putin mentioned in televised remarks.
NATO Secretary-Normal Jens Stoltenberg fired again on CNN, “That is harmful rhetoric. This can be a habits which is irresponsible.
“And, after all, in case you mix this rhetoric with what they’re doing on the bottom in Ukraine, waging conflict towards an unbiased, sovereign nation, conducting a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, this provides to the seriousness of the state of affairs,” he mentioned.
Stoltenberg mentioned Putin’s unpredictability is why the alliance elevated its troop presence in japanese Europe previously months as Russia continued so as to add troops and navy gear alongside the border with Ukraine.
“We even have to appreciate that we at the moment are confronted with a brand new regular for our safety. There can be some long-term penalties. And that is only the start of the variation that we have to do as a response to a way more aggressive Russia,” he mentioned.
Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was requested about Putin elevating the nuclear stakes in Europe.
“I don’t know the place he's in that darkish world, however I'll say this: We've to be sure that he actually understands that the associated fee can be extraordinary to attempt to cross [NATO’s] Article 5 line: An assault upon one is an assault upon all. And so, the Baltic States are certainly protected below that assure by the US of America,” she mentioned on “Fox Information Sunday.”
Rice, who ran the State Division throughout the Bush administration, mentioned she’ll be watching to see what Russia affords in talks with Ukraine on Monday.
“We’ll see what phrases the Russians provide, and I’m positive that it’s a very good factor that they’re going to speak,” she mentioned.
“But when something, what this may increasingly present is that Vladimir Putin anticipated a simple win right here. He thought he would waltz into the capital, into Kyiv. In his personal delusional rendering of historical past, Ukrainians and Russians are the identical, and he would overthrow this authorities and may even be welcomed as a liberator,” she mentioned.
H. R. McMaster, the previous nationwide safety adviser within the Trump White Home between 2017 and 2018, mentioned Putin has put himself in a “troublesome place” due to the results he has introduced on his nation.
“I feel Putin obtained much more than he bargained for. He’s in a really troublesome place. And I feel something we are able to do, clearly, financially, going after his worldwide prison enterprise with sanctions and so forth is essential. However the help for Ukraine’s means to defend themselves can be essential,” McMaster mentioned on CBS Information’ “Face the Nation.”
He was requested if Putin is a “rational actor.
“I don’t suppose he’s a rational actor as a result of he’s fearful, proper? What he desires to do greater than something is restore Russia to nationwide greatness. He’s pushed by that. He’s additionally pushed by a need to stay in energy to a minimum of 2036,” McMaster mentioned.
“And so I feel now he is aware of that each one of that's in danger, proper? That Russia, the Russian navy, doesn’t look excellent proper now. He doesn’t look very highly effective. And that is going to jeopardize his means to remain in energy,” he mentioned.
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