Johnson says Putin ‘not to be trusted,’ ‘dangerous’
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not to be trusted,” as well as “dangerous.”
"What is your view of Vladimir Putin?" CNN's Dana Bash asked Johnson on "State of the Union."
"I think Vladimir Putin is an old-school communist, a former KGB agent, and he's not to be trusted and he is dangerous," Johnson responded. "The way I view this is that China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are engaged in a new Axis — Axis powers, and they are not on America's side. Let's be crystal clear about that."
Johnson's comments follow a tense Oval Office meeting with President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Vice President Vance on Friday, which featured shouting and finger-pointing. The president and Zelensky argued over U.S. support for Ukraine.
Following the meeting, Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the Ukrainian president “is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.”
“I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” Trump said on Truth Social of Zelensky.
Trump has been pushing for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, with U.S. and Russian officials meeting in Saudi Arabia last month.
In his “State of the Union” appearance, Johnson said that Trump “is trying to be the change agent … to broker a peace and an end to this conflict, and you have to have both parties at the table to do that, you have to negotiate with both parties and there has to be a willingness on … both sides to bring it to an end.”
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