Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott dodged a reporter’s question over the weekend about whether Donald Trump should condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine.
Scott, who leads the Republican Party’s Senate group dedicated to electing more Republicans, hastened to condemn the Russian autocrat himself, but said it was “up to Trump” to do so.
Speaking to CBS News at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Scott instead directed Democrat President Joe Biden to do more for the GOP and the people of Ukraine and argued that Trump’s main focus is to help Republicans regain a majority in Congress during this year’s mid-term.
Trump sparked outrage across the political spectrum late last week when he praised Russia’s authoritarian leader’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine as “genius” and said his plan to define two separatist-held areas as “independent” was “pretty sensible.”
During his big speech, titled CPAC on Saturday night, Trump returned his comments about Ukraine but continued to speak passionately about Putin. Instead, he blamed the Biden administration for the invasion of Russian forces.
“The Russian attack on Ukraine is horrific. It’s an outrage and an atrocity that should never have been allowed,” Trump told his audience in Florida last night.
A view of the damage due to an armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine in donetsk region under the control of pro-Russian separatists, eastern Ukraine on February 27
Ukrainian fighters continue to thwart Russian takeover of their country in historic standoff
Scott wouldn’t say Trump should condemn Putin despite repeated inquiry
However, he also said: “Yesterday, reporters asked me if I thought President Putin was smart. I said, of course, he’s smart. The problem is not that Putin is smart – which of course is smart – but that our leaders are stupid.
Shortly before the speech, CBS journalist Robert Costa asked Scott if Trump should condemn Putin in future comments.
“It is clear that we must all condemn what is happening in Ukraine. I mean, Putin is a thug. We have to hold him accountable. “I hope the Biden administration, I hope everyone, you know, will hold back – they’re doing everything they can to keep the Biden administration going,” Scott began.
Costa shortened Scott as if that should include the former president.
“Well, it’s President Trump’s decision,” Scott replied. “You know, Biden – Putin is a thug, it’s despised, my heart is with the people of Ukraine.”
“I will do everything I can to help the citizens of Ukraine, we need to make sure that we provide all the resources we can.”
Costa pressed him again: “So it’s up to him whether he condemns Putin or not?”
“Of course it’s always up to him,” Scott said.
Photos from the Ukrainian city of Sumi show a Russian tank on fire just days after newly revealed camera footage showed a huge column of tanks moving towards the city
A fighter from the Ukrainian Territorial Defense looks at a destroyed Russian infantry mobile machine GAZ Tigr after the fighting in Kharkiv on February 27
The senator dismissed further questions about whether Trump should be encouraged to do so.
“It’s always up to everyone to do what they want,” Scott replied.
Asked if he, as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, wanted Trump to issue a “strong message” against the invasion, Scott said, “Well, I talked to President Trump. I’ve spoken to Republicans all over the country. We’re all focused on getting the Senate back.
It’s possible Scott doesn’t want to be caught on Trump’s bad side after it was reported that the former president is trying to woo Scott to challenge Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for his lead.
Trump had implored Scott during a private meeting at Mar-a-Lago to run for the leadership against McConnell, CBS reported.
Scott unequivocally ruled out such a challenge in his interview Saturday afternoon.
Ukraine’s forces are resisting the Russian army as it tries to advance towards the capital Kiev.
Nearly 200 Ukrainians have died on Saturday morning since the Russian invasion began early last week, a Ukrainian health ministry official said. More than 1,000 Ukrainian citizens were injured.
There are more than 3,500 casualties in Russia, according to the BBC, although reports suggest the devastating figure has not reached Kremlin-controlled media channels.
Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed on Sunday that Kiev and Moscow would participate in peace talks on his country’s border with Belarus. His office released a statement crediting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for brokering the talks, which he said would continue “without preconditions.”
Lukashenko, who allowed Putin to send his troops to Ukraine via Belarus just days ago, promised that all weapons and military technology stationed in his country would remain on the ground when officials met.
At the same time, Putin said in a televised address that he had ordered troops acting with nuclear deterrence to enter a “special regime on duty” in light of “aggressive statements” by NATO leaders and “unfriendly economic actions.”
Hours earlier, Ukraine had filed a lawsuit against Russia in The Hague, with Zelensky asking the UN International Court of Justice to order Russia to stop its attack on Ukraine and start trials.
“Ukraine has filed its complaint against Russia with the Ministry of State. Russia must be held responsible for manipulating the concept of genocide to justify aggression. We want an urgent solution that will order Russia to cease its military activity now, and we expect the trials to begin next week,” Zelensky said in a statement on Twitter.
Ukraine’s latest war, at a glance
- Kiev and Moscow will hold peace talks on the border with Belarus, Vladimir Zelenski confirmed today
- The Ukrainian president’s office said the two delegations would meet “without preconditions” near the Pripyat River, north of Chernobyl
- Russia failed to retake Ukraine’s capital Kiev during the fighting on Saturday night and Sunday morning
- But Russian forces entered Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Sunday morning
- Street battles are reported to be taking place, and photos show a Russian military machine on fire
- Oleh Sinehubov, head of the regional administration in Kharkiv, said Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops in the city and asked civilians not to leave their homes
- However, reports in Ukrainian newspapers suggested that troops had managed to repel Russia’s offensive towards Kharkiv, with one British reporter on the ground confirming that the city remained under Ukrainian control despite this morning’s attack.
- Russian forces have reportedly blocked Kherson and Berdyansk and carried out another missile strike on Ukraine’s military infrastructure, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said
- UN says at least 240 Ukrainian civilians killed
- At least 200,000 people have fled Ukraine in three countries, with 150,000 said to have crossed into Poland alone
- Unconfirmed reports that she was being shelled by Russian forces at a hospital for children with cancer in Kiev were also debunked
- Ukrainian news site TSN reported that the boy was killed at a children’s hospital in the city
- According to Kyiv Independent, at least two children and two adults were injured in an incident at a children’s cancer hospital in Ohmadit
- However, the New York Times refuted the allegations, saying that while gunfire was heard near the hospital, it was not fired by artillery.
- Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said their air force shot down a missile aimed at the capital Kiev from a plane flown by Russian ally Belarus
- Ukraine’s Defense Ministry today urged foreigners to join its armed forces and fight Putin’s army, with Ukraine’s foreign minister urging people to contact his department.
- UK intelligence says fighting in Kiev last night was of ‘lower intensity’ than the night before
- The Defense Ministry said there had been an “intense” exchange of rocket artillery in Kharkiv, followed by “heavy fighting” between Ukrainian and Russian forces
- As fighting continued, Russia said it was taking part in peace talks with the Ukrainian government in Belarus
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the delegation included military and diplomats. “The Russian delegation is ready for talks, and we are now waiting for the Ukrainians,” he said.
- However, while Zelensky said that although he said Ukraine was ready for peace talks, he said they would not take place in Belarus – which was a base for Russian troops before the invasion
- In a televised address, Zelenski, standing next to a Ukrainian flag, wearing an army green T-shirt and jumper, said: “If there were no aggressive actions from your territory, we could talk in Minsk… other cities can be used as a place to talk
- He later said Russia should be stripped of its seat on the UN Security Council because of its incursion into his country
- Meanwhile, Ukraine destroyed a convoy of 56 tanks of dangerous Chechen fighters
- Among those killed was one of The High Generals of Čečania Magomed Tunshaev
- At least two explosions rocked the country in the early hours of Sunday local time
- Vasilkov, which is located southwest of Ukraine, saw that the fuel depot of his airbase was attacked by Russian ballistic missiles
- The subsequent fire cast an eerie orange glow over Kiev, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Kiev.
- The pipeline was blown up near Kharkiv, sending a huge mushroom cloud rising into the sky
- Woman killed in Kharkiv after Russian projectile hits apartment block
- Russian PM says he is angered by slower-than-expected efforts to conquer Ukraine
- UK Armed Services Minister James Happy, writing in The Telegraph, warned that Putin’s days “will surely be numbered” if he fails in his ambition to take over Kiev
- Mr. Happy, a former rifle major, said that if Putin fails and the Russian people can show “how little he cares about them… Putin’s days as president will surely be numbered, as will those of the kleptocratic elite that surrounds them. He will lose power and will not be able to choose his successor.
- However, there are fears that delaying russia’s invasion plan could make Putin more desperate in trying to crush Ukrainian resolve
- A Russian thermobar missile launcher was spotted by an American film crew south of Belgorod, Russia, near the Ukrainian border
- The US and EU have agreed to limit Russia’s use of the SWIFT messaging system, which is vital for global financial transactions
- Donald Trump condemned Saturday’s invasion
- He said: “The Russian attack on Ukraine is horrific, it is an outrage and an atrocity that should never have been allowed. It was never going to happen. We pray for the proud people of Ukraine. God bless them all.
- China’s ambassador to Ukraine, Phan Ying-moon, shared a video ing allegations that he fled Kiev
- Urged other Chinese citizens in Ukraine to take shelter
- It comes as China tries to condemn the attack by keeping ally Vladimir Putin out