Russian President Vladimir Putin's appearance Friday in Crimea following months of military aggression is further proof he's toying with the West, according to former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan.
"We just need to recognize that Putin is KGB, he is playing the West, the U.S., and this administration, extremely well," Hoekstra told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV. "He's the pro, we're the amateurs. He's saying one thing and doing another."
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Putin was in Crimea to participate in Victory Day celebrations — his first visit since Russia annexed the territory from Ukraine.
Hoekstra predicts an upcoming election will be won by pro-Russian factions after which Putin will welcome them to be part of Russia.
"The people will have spoken, and Americans in Western Europe will wonder, what just happened? We thought he was weakening, and we were working with him,'' he said.
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