Trump defends decision to congratulate Putin on re-election by tweeting 'PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH'

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

published 21 March 2018

On Wednesday, President Trump defended his controversial decision to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election earlier this week, tweeting that "getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing" and adding, "PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!"

The Washington Post had reported that Trump was warned in all caps by national security advisers not to congratulate Putin, although he went ahead and did it anyway. Aides also told the president he needed to condemn the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England earlier this month, which has been widely blamed on Moscow; Trump didn't bring this up, the Post adds.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.