Albright: 'Vladimir Putin could not dream up a better presidential candidate than Donald Trump'
Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright blasted Donald Trump on Wednesday over his apparent coziness with Russia.
On a conference call hosted by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign, Albright depicted Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, as the pro-Russia candidate.
"Donald Trump, beyond just praising [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, has defended his most unacceptable behavior and proposed a series of pro-Kremlin policies," Albright, who has endorsed Clinton for president, said.
She then ticked off a list of Trump's recent statements to bolster her point, noting that he has suggested he'd be open to easing sanctions on Russia, recognizing the country's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine, and said that Putin is "not going to go into Ukraine."
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"He has stoked European disunity, celebrated Brexit, and casually predicted the break-up of the European Union," Albright said. "[H]e even encouraged Russian espionage in a US election."
She continued: "Vladimir Putin could not dream up a better presidential candidate than Donald Trump to help him move his grand vision forward."
Russia watchers and analysts say Putin wants to see Europe fracture to strengthen Russia's position in the geopolitical arena. The future of the EU, which Russia is not a part of, seems less certain now that the UK voted to leave the bloc.
Many experts contend that a fractured Europe would not work in the interest of the US, which counts many EU countries as allies. And while the US has thawed relations with Russia recently, the relationship is still tense as Putin seeks to extend his influence through former Soviet republics and into the Middle East, where the US is also involved militarily.
Albright also slammed Trump for calling the NATO alliance "obsolete."
Trump "has so scared our" allies that Albright "had to have a phone call with Estonian officials in order to make clear that Secretary Clinton was a firm supporter and believer in Article 5 and in NATO," Albright said, referring to the principle of collective defense.
Foreign policy officials from former presidential administrations have expressed similar concerns about Trump.
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