Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said former President Trump is “paralyzed” with Russian President Vladimir Putin as she criticized the presumptive GOP presidential nominee for his tepid approach to helping Ukraine.
In an interview with MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” Pelosi criticized the former president for suggesting last week that “Europe has to step up” and provide Ukraine with more money and “equalize.”
Pelosi responded to the suggestion that Europe contribute more, saying it is “just indicative of how irresponsible he has been in this because for some reason he is paralyzed with Putin.”
“For him to say that shows his lack of knowledge, his lack of values and, frankly, his lack of commitment to democracy,” she added.
For months, Trump has expressed skepticism about the US providing additional assistance to Ukraine in its war against Russia, arguing that support for Ukraine is not a vital American interest and that Europe should provide the bulk of the assistance. His views have had profound influence among his allies in Congress, making it difficult to pass aid to Ukraine in the Republican Party-controlled House.
Pelosi added that it is “heartbreaking” that aid has been suspended for months and pointed to the former president’s influence as a possible reason.
“What happened in the United States Congress is heartbreaking. It’s sad,” Pelosi said, naming Republican lawmakers who have noted the influence of Russian propaganda on the Republican caucus, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (Ohio) and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (Texas).
Turner and McCaul earlier this month expressed concern about the reach of Russian propaganda at the conference. Turner said: “We see, coming directly from Russia, attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we have even heard being delivered on the House floor.”
In response to these concerns, Pelosi said, “This is an indication of your candidate for president of the United States.”
“As I always said, with him all roads lead to Putin,” she added, referring to Trump.
Pelosi’s interview came as President Mike Johnson (R-La.) unveiled the legislative text of three bills that would combine military assistance to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Indo-Pacific with humanitarian aid to Gaza and elsewhere. global critics – a high – a watershed moment for the House speaker as he addresses the politically thorny topic of sending aid abroad.
Although Pelosi had not yet read the text of the bills, she said she was “fine” with Johnson’s plan to submit each bill individually to the House and then combine them before they are sent to the Senate.
“It’s really a tragedy that it took this long, but I’m very happy — I won’t say happy — that it finally happened,” Pelosi said, emphasizing the urgency and stakes of getting more aid to Ukraine. .
“Nothing less is at stake than our democracy,” she added, while underlining the importance of Ukraine winning the war.
Johnson is facing an imminent threat after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced a motion to vacate the speakership — though no timeline was offered for bringing the resolution to a vote.
Pelosi signaled that the Democratic caucus would follow the lead of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) to see if they would vote to save Johnson. She emphasized, however, that the speaker of the House should be willing to lose his job to pass on aid to Ukraine.
“We came to Washington, we came to Congress, to do a job, not to keep a job,” Pelosi said. “I wish the Mayor well.”
“If, in fact, he will take a risk in his work so that we can save democracy in Ukraine, that is – any of us would make that trade,” she added.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
