Republican Presidential candidate Nikki Haley publicly criticized Donald Trump‘s policy on Ukraine, labeling the former president as “weak in the knees.”
Haley, while campaigning in New Hampshire, expressed her views on Trump’s stance towards Ukraine, saying it lacked strength, The Hill reported.
“He was the right president at the right time,” Haley said.
“He broke things that needed to be broken. He listened and brought in a group of people who felt unheard.”
The Russian invasion of Ukraine had united the western countries behind Ukraine. Russia’s soccer team was expelled from the Soccer tournament and many Fortune 500 companies had pulled out of Russia.
“He was thin-skinned and easily distracted. He didn’t do anything on fiscal policy and really spent a lot of money and we’re paying the price for it,” she said.
“He used to be good on foreign policy and now he has started to walk it back and get weak in the knees when it comes to Ukraine.”
Haley, a strong supporter of Ukraine military aid, accused Trump of wavering and not taking a strong position on the issue. She signaled her disagreement with Trump’s intention to bring peace to the war between Ukraine and Russia without elaborating on how.
Her comments come amidst a backdrop of fluctuating Republican support for Ukraine since the Russian invasion began over a year and a half ago.
These remarks reflect the political tightrope GOP primary candidates are walking, as they aim to acknowledge Trump’s presidential accomplishments while arguing why they would be a better choice.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the former U.S. president to publicly unveil his peace plan for the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. The Ukrainian leader, however, expressed firm opposition to any proposition involving ceding territory to Russia.
According to national polls, Trump holds a commanding lead with approximately 55% of Republicans’ support. Following him, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is the closest competitor with roughly 14% support, while Haley secures fourth place with approximately 5%.
Trump’s poll numbers are leading up to a possible rematch with incumbent President Joe Biden in 2024
The former president was impeached by the House of Representative on the first time where he attempted to coerce Ukraine and other foreign countries to find damaging information on then-former Vice President Biden in 2019.
He was then acquitted by the Senate, but is the first president to be impeached twice in one term.
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