"Donald Trump continues to side with Vladimir Putin - a man who kills his political opponents, holds American journalists hostage, and has never hidden his desire to destroy America."
This was stated by Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley after the world was shaken by the news of the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, US News reported.
Trump has praised Putin periodically for years, calling the Russian leader a "genius" in 2022 over his decision to invade neighboring Ukraine, sparking a war that is still raging.
Many Western leaders have accused the Kremlin of being behind Navalny's death. Although there is no concrete evidence in this direction, the claim sounds relevant, since Putin's enemies often die under unclear circumstances.
Over the weekend, Trump drew criticism from Western leaders for saying he would encourage Putin to invade NATO member states that do not spend enough on defense./BGNES
