President Donald Trump's abandonment of Ukraine in the darkest hour of the Russian invasion, and strongarm tactics to try to force "peace talks" that lopsidedly benefit Russia, represent a "complete betrayal" of our allies and our democratic values, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) told CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday.
Trump drew outrage and discomfort even from some in his own party this week by blaming Ukraine for the war — comments that came after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton.
"Senator, I do want to talk to you about the firings at the Department of Veterans Affairs," Tapper told Duckworth, a disabled Iraq War veteran. "But I do also want to get your reaction to President Trump calling the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy a, quote, 'dictator' and suggesting over the last few days that this war was started by Ukraine."
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"I mean, he is parroting Vladimir Putin's talking points, and it's a complete betrayal of the Ukrainian people, of American leadership and our values," said Duckworth.
"I never thought, in the 23 years I served in the military, that I would hear the commander-in-chief of the United States Military parroting a Russian talking point," said Duckworth. "And really, you know, it is astonishing to me that he would also betray our allies in Europe in this way and pave the way for Putin."
The president "essentially has just surrendered to Putin," she added. "And that simply is not acceptable."
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