Valeriy Chaly, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, said Monday that Donald Trump’s recent comments about Russia and Ukraine are worrisome.
Chaly told CNN that he was “surprised” by Trump’s remarks and “concerned” that the Republican presidential candidate does not have all the facts.
During an interview with ABC’s “This Week” that aired Sunday, Trump said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not be “going into Ukraine.” He later defended his comments, saying that he meant to say that Putin will not invade Ukraine if Trump is president. During the same interview, Trump denied involvement in reported efforts by his campaign to soften language in the Republican platform on support for Ukraine against Russia.
Chaly noted on CNN that the Trump campaign’s efforts to soften language in the platform contradicts the stance on protecting Ukraine widely held by Republicans.
He said that the Trump campaign has a “lack of strategy,” and said he hoped that the U.S. will “have a predictable leadership, and predictable foreign policy.”