Trump reportedly defended Putin's annexation of Crimea to the G7 leaders — using Putin's same reasoning

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 14 June 2018

President Trump parroted a line used by Russia to defend its annexation of Crimea when speaking with G7 leaders at a dinner in Quebec, Canada, last week, BuzzFeed News reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended the 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea from Ukraine by claiming that the people who live in that region are Russian-speakers, and that Moscow has the right to protect its own citizens. Trump allegedly told G7 leaders that Crimea is Russian because the people who live there speak Russian, a diplomat who was present told BuzzFeed News, although "it is unclear whether Trump's comments were throwaway remarks said in jest, or whether he was signaling a radical departure from current U.S. foreign policy."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

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.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox