Ambassador: 'Concerned' About Trump's Views on Crimea

Ukraine's ambassador to the United States said he's worried Donald Trump "doesn't have all the facts" about Russia's activities and intentions in Ukraine.

In an interview Monday with CNN's "At This Hour," Valeriy Chaly said he met with the Trump campaign in Cleveland during the GOP convention, and he was assured the Republicans did not accept Russia's claim to Crimea.

"I met with them, and Mr. Trump's team, and everybody told me that 'everything's okay, we keep this position, we reject any annexation of your territory in Crimea from Russian side,'" Chaly said. "But now I am certainly concerned by the change of this position by the candidate."

On Sunday, Trump told ABC News' "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" that he was not involved in a rewriting of the GOP party platform to eliminate a call for providing lethal weapons to Ukraine to defend themselves, and insisted Russian President Vladimir Putin was "not going into Ukraine."

"Well, he's already there, isn't he?" Stephanopoulos responded, in a reference to Crimea.

"OK — well, he's there in a certain way," Trump replied. "But I'm not there. You have Obama there. And frankly, that whole part of the world is a mess under Obama with all the strength that you're talking about and all of the power of NATO and all of this. In the meantime, he's going away. He takes Crimea."

Trump clarified his his position in a series of tweets Monday.

When I said in an interview that Putin is "not going into Ukraine, you can mark it down," I am saying if I am President. Already in Crimea!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2016

So with all of the Obama tough talk on Russia and the Ukraine, they have already taken Crimea and continue to push. That's what I said!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2016

"Everybody … was surprised," Chaly said. "Because we are concerned that Mr. Trump does not have have all of the facts."

He added that as a diplomat, "I do not want to interrupt or be involved in the election."

"It is the American people who will decide who is going to be the president of the United States," Chaly said. "But we are counting that the United States will be having a predictable leadership, and predictable foreign policy, and that is the main part of our side."

"And as a diplomat, I want to once again have an understanding from both camps what will be in the future for Ukraine, and for the position of the sanctions, and Crimea."

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