Ron DeSantis says his remarks on Ukraine were ‘mischaracterized’

• The widely anticipated 2024 presidential candidate said his remarks had been “mischaracterized.”
• He also called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal.”
• The former president has waged a concerted campaign against his former political protégé.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has reportedly sought to clear up his description of the Russia-Ukraine war as a “territorial dispute”, in the wake of a backlash from fellow Republicans.

In a television interview, the widely anticipated 2024 presidential candidate said his remarks had been “mischaracterized.”

He also called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal.”

According to recent polls, Trump is gaining ground on DeSantis.

In recent weeks, the former president has waged a concerted campaign against his former political protégé.

Mr. DeSantis has remained tight-lipped about his rumored plans to challenge Mr. Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.

The Florida governor was asked about his former portrayal of the Russia-Ukraine war as a “territorial dispute” on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

According to a preview of the interview, which airs on Thursday, he said, “Well, I think it’s been mischaracterized.”

The Florida governor, who was re-elected by a landslide last year, stated that his remark was only about the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine and the annexed Crimean peninsula.

“There’s a lot of ethnic Russians there,” the 44-year-old continued. “So, that’s some difficult fighting and that’s what I was referring to.”

“It wasn’t that I thought Russia had a right to that,” Mr. DeSantis added, calling the notion that Moscow was justified in its attack “nonsense”.

“If I could snap my fingers, I’d give it back to Ukraine 100%,” the former congressman and ex-US Navy lawyer continued.

His “territorial conflict” remark led Ukraine to extend an invitation to the governor to visit the war-torn country.

While the comment appeared to unite the Florida governor with Mr. Trump, who has resisted American backing for Kyiv, it drew condemnation from hawkish Republican senators Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, dividing the party’s isolationist and establishment wings.

Mr. Trump stated on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday that Mr. DeSantis had “crashed” in the polls, criticizing him as an “average governor.”

According to a Monmouth University poll issued on Tuesday, Mr. Trump has a double-digit lead in the GOP primary, reversing Mr. DeSantis’ recent gains.

Also Read

Kamala Harris dismissed Ron DeSantis’ remarks

Harris rebuffed DeSantis' comments that US support for Ukraine is not a...