State Department Offers Response to Trump’s Praise of Putin: ‘No Response. In Fact, I Have No Words’

The Biden State Department offered a response on Wednesday to former President Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praising Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Your reaction to former Secretary of State Pompeo and former President Trump praising Putin’s cleverness, strength and smartness,” asked MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell during the department’s press briefing.

“I have no response,” said department spokesperson Ned Price. “In fact, I have no words.”

In an interview on Tuesday, Trump praised Putin the day after the latter’s speech where he recognized the Donbas, in addition to the Luhansk region, as independent. Both regions consist of pro-Russian separatists.

In January, Pompeo told Fox News that Putin “is a very talented statesman. He has lots of gifts. He was a KGB agent, for goodness sakes. He knows how to use power. We should respect that.”

Since Putin’s announcement, Russian troops have invaded the Donbas. Sanctions against the breakaway regions and Russia overall have been added to those already in place by the United States, the European Union and other countries. Those snactions include punishment directed specifically and pointedly at Putin’s inner-circle.

As many as 190,000 Russian troops have been stationed on the Russia side.

Watch above, via CSPAN.