Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) sharply criticized President Trump on Monday for what he described as a morally indefensible posture toward Russia's war in Ukraine, intensifying intra-party friction over the administration's tilt toward Moscow.
In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Bacon said Trump has effectively aligned himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a leader he labeled a dictator and war criminal, while undermining a democratic ally that seeks closer ties with the West.
“It's absolutely disgraceful our president is morally blind on this war. He's pitched his lot in with the dictator and the war criminal, and he's being harsh and undermining the democracy, the country that wants to be part of the West, part of the EU, would love to be part of NATO, would love to be allied with us,” Bacon said.
Bacon, a retired Air Force general who has visited Ukraine recently, dismissed Trump's suggestion that Russia has shown restraint. “Putin hates us. The president doesn't see that. But to say that Russia's been fine on Ukraine and they bomb cities every night, I was there a month ago. They're bombing gas stations, restaurants, shopping malls. They're committing terrorism against Ukrainians,” he added.
Trump's remarks came as he floated the possibility of a trilateral meeting with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, though he said no such summit had been arranged. Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn, Trump said he would participate, but added, “Not so much on Ukraine because Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine, they haven't been doing much, and the same with China.” He framed the proposed talks around weapons control and denuclearization.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Putin had proposed such a meeting during a phone call with Trump earlier this month. Trump's comments on Monday echoed his previous skepticism about Ukraine's leadership. Last week, he told Newsmax that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is “not a good guy for us to deal with,” and suggested that continued military aid to Ukraine might be contingent on a settlement that excludes Zelensky.
“If they're going to end up with a settlement of some kind, they're not going to do it with” Zelensky, Trump said when asked about additional support. He also criticized Ukraine for resuming strikes on Russian energy targets after Trump had asked for a halt.
Bacon's rebuke underscores a growing divide within the GOP over the administration's approach to the conflict. Some Republicans have echoed Trump's skepticism of aid to Kyiv, while others, like Bacon, argue that abandoning Ukraine would embolden Putin and undermine U.S. credibility. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
