'This is genius': Trump praises Putin's actions in Ukraine
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin after the Kremlin announced it would recognize the breakaway regions of Eastern Ukraine as independent states.
During a live interview with The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, a syndicated conservative talk radio show, Trump called the move by Putin "genius" and "smart."
"I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of Ukraine … as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful," he said on the show on Tuesday.
"Putin is now saying, 'It’s independent,' a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper," Trump added.
Russia's recognition of the separatist-controlled regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine have sparked widespread condemnation in the West. Putin also announced that he would be sending Russian troops into the regions for "peacekeeping purposes."
Trump also suggested the U.S. should deploy a similar "peace force" to the U.S.-Mexico border.
"We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re going to keep peace, all right," he said.
The former president also said that the situation in Ukraine "never would have happened" if he had won the last election.
"Had I been in office, not even thinkable. This would never have happened," Trump said. "You know what the response was from Biden? There was no response. They didn’t have one for that. No, it’s very sad."
Trump's remarks stand in contrast to what top Republicans have said about Russia's actions in Ukraine. In a joint statement, the Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives called Putin's actions "reprehensible" and called on the U.S. and allies to "make the Putin regime pay for this aggression."
This isn't the first time Trump has praised Russia and Putin. Trump has called the Russian president a "strong leader" on numerous occasions before and during his time in the White House and even tried to re-invite Russia into the G7.
The Special Counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller also concluded that Russian entities had interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election in order to help Trump defeat rival Hillary Clinton -- but the investigation did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE UPDATES | Alberta election live updates: Elections Alberta says it's not experiencing issues
CTV News has declared a number of seats across the province as election results begin to take shape Monday night.

Albertans head to polls in what's expected to be very close election between UCP, NDP
In Alberta today, the United Conservative Party is looking to win a second consecutive majority government while the NDP is fighting to regain the office it lost in 2019.
Singh calling for foreign interference special rapporteur Johnston to step aside
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP says she is target of foreign interference by China
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
Golden Knights reach 2nd Stanley Cup Final after Game 6 win over Stars
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Caleb Martin helps Heat to 103-84 Game 7 win over Celtics and spot in NBA Finals
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian parliamentarians condemn Uganda's recently passed anti-homosexuality law
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
Free prescription drugs could reduce overall health-care costs in Canada: study
Overall health-care costs could be reduced in Canada by providing free prescription drugs to patients, according to a new study.
Northern B.C., Alberta and all of Ontario under 'high' to 'extreme' wildfire risk: What to know
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.