Donald Trump’s recent statements regarding his respect for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his policies regarding, among other places, Ukraine, are evidence that the United States is becoming pro-Russian, Russian Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachev suggested on Thursday.
“Trump has repeatedly proven that he, like no one else, understands the public’s demand for a change in course, and the attitudes of a large part of voters who have grown tired of the Clintons and the Bushes,” Kosachev wrote on his Facebook page.
The fact that a presidential candidate is speaking out in favor of improving relations with Russia means that “similar sentiment is becoming more and more popular in the US, and it can unify political points,” Kosachev added. “Only time will tell whether Trump is ready or—no less important—capable of implementing this. It is definitely too early to celebrate,” the lawmaker concluded.
For now, any predictions of Trump’s plans on recognizing Ukraine’s Crimea as part of Russia and lifting sanctions if he becomes president “are like gazing into a crystal ball, just like with his other vociferous statements,” Kosachev conceded.
Candidate Trump has stated that, if elected, he would consider recognizing occupied Crimea as a Russian territory and lifting sanctions against Russia. Crimea was taken by force in a staged February 2014 coup.