President Donald Trump declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be his worst enemy if the bilateral relationship between the two countries does not work out.
NEW — President Trump tells CNBC: Obama was a ‘patsy’ for Russia, ‘I’ll be the worst enemy’ Vladimir Putin has ever had if relationship ‘doesn’t work out’ https://t.co/taDZiXtZX7 pic.twitter.com/PXHuk4Nzea
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) July 19, 2018
“I’ll be the worst enemy” Vladimir Putin has ever had, Trump said.
The president delivered scathing criticism of his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for his handling of the relationship with Russia. The president has repeatedly blamed the Obama administration for allowing Russia to annex the Crimean peninsula and for not taking more decisive action against the Russian government.
Trump’s criticism comes on the heels of his most recent visit to Helsinki, Finland where he held a summit with Putin. The summit came under intense media scrutiny for appearing to equivocate on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Trump brushed off the criticism and has invited Putin to the White House for a visit sometime in the fall.
In Helsinki, @POTUS agreed to ongoing working level dialogue between the two security council staffs. President Trump asked @Ambjohnbolton to invite President Putin to Washington in the fall and those discussions are already underway.
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) July 19, 2018