Former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice on Sunday called it “disgraceful” for President Donald Trump to blame his predecessor President Barack Obama for letting Russia get away with its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
During an interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” Rice was asked to comment on Trump’s call for Russia to be invited back into the group of major industrialized nations after it was booted in the wake of its aggression.
“Crimea was let go during the Obama administration,” Trump said Saturday, adding: “you really have to ask that question to President [Barack] Obama, you know, why did he do that?”
“It's a disgraceful statement,” Rice responded. “The fact of the matter is Russia — had invaded Georgia. It then invaded Ukraine. We rallied the entire European Union and many other partners to impose tough sanctions on Russia for its annexation. We supported the Ukrainian government to build up its …defensive military capacity, and along with our G-7 partners we agreed that Russia should no longer be part of this community.”
"The U.S. has long upheld international law,” she added. “This was the most brazen violation of another country's sovereignty that's occurred in recent years. For the president of the United States to blame his predecessor rather than to understand Russia is our adversary, Russia has taken on behavior that's absolutely reprehensible, including being responsible for shooting a civilian aircraft out of the skies and killing hundreds of people.
"For the president of the United States to suggest all is forgotten, that that doesn't matter, that we are fine with one country annexing another country's sovereign territory and we should just welcome them with open arms back into a community of democracies is outrageous."
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