Condoleezza Rice says Trump pivot on Putin could possibly be 'turning level' in Ukraine conflict

[ad_1] In uncommon public remarks, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mentioned Thursday that she believes “this final week was a turning level” within the U.S. and European stance towards Ukraine and Russia, and doubtlessly within the conflict in Ukraine, “as a result of the president is offended with Putin as a result of he has, in impact, made the president look unhealthy.”

Talking on a panel moderated by NBC Information’ Andrea Mitchell on the annual Aspen Safety Discussion board, Rice addressed the ultimatum that President Donald Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, to simply accept a peace take care of Ukraine inside 50 days or face new secondary sanctions, which might penalize entities that do enterprise with Russia.

“I feel the most effective information that we may presumably give to the Ukrainian individuals is that america and Europe have lastly aligned round the concept Vladimir Putin is not going to be stopped with phrases. He'll solely be stopped if he believes that he can go no additional, he can win no additional,” Rice mentioned.

The promise of further weapons for Ukraine and the ultimatum for Russia haven’t slowed Putin’s aggression, nevertheless. Late Wednesday night time, Russia launched a whole lot extra drones and missiles into Ukraine, killing two individuals, injuring dozens extra and knocking out energy for 80,000 households.

Whereas acknowledging that secondary sanctions may be laborious to implement, Rice pointed to methods they may nonetheless be painful for Russia. “When you’re China,” she mentioned, “with an economic system that’s not in nice form,” or “India, which actually doesn’t wish to be on the fallacious aspect of this, perhaps you begin interested by whether or not that discounted Russian oil is actually price it.”

Given Rice’s expertise as secretary of state and earlier than that as nationwide safety adviser, each within the George W. Bush administration, Mitchell additionally requested her about Marco Rubio at present holding each titles, making him the one particular person apart from Henry Kissinger to have held each roles without delay.

“You realize what?” she mentioned, “I don’t thoughts it.” Rice defined that proximity is all the pieces: “To have Marco Rubio within the White Home subsequent to the Oval Workplace, which is the place the nationwide safety adviser is, versus down in Foggy Backside, the place the secretary of state is, I don’t suppose it’s a foul factor proper now.”

Rice additionally criticized the Biden administration for, in her view, having taken its time to get desperately wanted weapons to Ukraine from the outset. “When you had given them all the pieces in the beginning of the conflict,” she mentioned, when “the Russians have been on their again foot, [Ukraine] may’ve received this conflict outright.”