Donald Trump's Russia ties remain a national security risk [View all]

[Nevilledog]

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/inq2/trump-threat-russia-putin-ukraine-national-security-20240218.html

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https://archive.li/cCVw9


Many gasped recently when Donald Trump said he’d encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” with NATO allies who don’t pay their share of the transatlantic alliance’s defense spending. It was a brazen but hardly surprising turn from someone who has shown a long and loyal affection for Russian President Vladimir Putin, a wanted war criminal.

Trump has called Putin — a former KGB agent who jails and murders critics — smart, savvy, and his friend. Trump sided with Putin after a U.S. intelligence community assessment found Russia meddled in the 2016 election. More troubling, in 2017 Trump shared highly classified intelligence with the Russian ambassador.

These were not innocent missteps. Rather, they are part of Trump’s decades-long support for Russia. As he mounts another presidential bid, voters must understand that Trump remains a national security risk.

There are dozens of reasons why Trump is unfit to be president, but his subservience to Putin is near the top of the list. Russia remains one of America’s fiercest foes. Yet, before, during, and after his one term as president, Trump bowed down to what Ronald Reagan called the “evil empire.”

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