'No one tells Vladimir Putin what to do': Martha Raddatz smacks down GOP candidate’s foreign policy plan

04 June 2023

Right-wing 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy shared his solution for ending Russian President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine on Sunday's edition of This Week.

Ramaswamy — a millionaire biotech mogul who subscribes to the "America first" doctrine of former President Donald Trump — believes that appeasing Putin is an acceptable price to pay to resolve a conflict that he thinks is irrelevant to the United States.

"Let's talk about Ukraine. You said in a speech in New Hampshire on Friday that you would not spend another dime of American money on a war that does not affect our interests. You don't think the possibility of Russia taking over Ukraine is not, is in our interest?" ABC News moderator Martha Raddatz asked.

"I don't think that's a top foreign policy priority. But I did also in that same speech identify with our top priority," Ramaswamy stated.

Raddatz forcibly pushed back.

"I wanna, I wanna stick to this for a minute. You do not believe that Russia taking over Ukraine would be bad for our national interest?" she reiterated.

"I do not think it is a top foreign policy priority for us. I don't think it is preferable for Russia to be able to invade a sovereign country that it's its neighbor. But I think the job of the US president is to look after American interests and what I think the number one threat to the US military is right now, our top military threat, is the Sino-Russian alliance," Ramaswamy replied, referring to the blossoming relationship between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. "I think that by fighting further in Russia, by further arming Ukraine, we are driving Russia into China's hands. And that Sino-Russian alliance is the top threat we face. And what I've said is I would end this war in return for pulling Putin out of that treaty with China. That's actually the foreign policy position."

Raddatz's responded with palpable skepticism.

"How do you do this? No one tells Vladimir Putin what to do. That has not worked yet. And you said you would wanna give him the Donbas. That would be rewarding Putin, wouldn't it?" Raddatz pressed.

"I don't trust Putin. But I do trust Putin to follow his self-interest. I don't think he enjoys being the little brother in the relationship with Xi Jinping. And so what I think we need to do is end the Ukraine War on peaceful terms that yes, do make some major concessions to Russia including freezing the current lines of control in a Korean War-style armistice agreement," Ramaswamy elaborated.

"Which Ukraine really wouldn't want to do," Raddatz interjected.

"Which Ukraine wouldn't wanna do," Ramaswamy concurred, adding that he would demand a "permanent commitment not to allow Ukraine to enter NATO." That happens to be Putin's longstanding goal too.

"But in return," Ramaswamy concluded, "Russia has to leave its treaty and its joint military agreement with China. That better advances American interests and actually further deters China from going after Taiwan, which I think is a much higher priority for the United States."

Watch below or at this link.

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