The Kremlin sidestepped Donald Trump’s statement that the United States should not immediately come to the defense of NATO allies under attack, according to reports by Russian news outlets, instead criticizing the premise of the question that prompted his response.
In an interview, The New York Times asked Trump how the U.S. should respond in the case of a Russian attack on Baltic states, to which he said that America should come to their defense only “if they fulfill their obligations to us.”
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the idea of Russia attacking “anyone” was “unnecessary” and “hypothetical.”
“That is not a very fitting formulation,” Peskov said.
Peskov avoided commenting on Trump’s statement of conditional NATO support, though some Russian news reports characterized Peskov’s criticism of Russian aggression as criticism of Trump.
“I would not want to comment on the obligations of other countries to the United States,” Peskov told reporters, and said that Russia has responsibilities “to ensure Europe’s global strategic security.”
“Russia is handing that perfectly,” Peskov said.
In the Times interview, Trump, who some accuse of being pro-Putin, said that he has not been complimentary of the Russian leader.
“He’s been complimentary of me,” Trump said. “I think Putin and I will get along very well.”
The Trump campaign reportedly pushed to make the Republican party platform more favorable to Russia last week by softening a clause that advocated for the U.S. supply of arms to Ukrainians fighting Russian-backed forces. Trump’s campaign manger, Paul Manafort, dismissed reports of pro-Russia platform manipulation Tuesday. Manafort lobbied on behalf of Putin ally and former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych for years.
