Haley slams Trump for repeatedly ‘siding with Putin’ after Navalny death

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley has hit out at her 2024 Republican presidential primary opponent, former president Donald Trump, following the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Ms Haley on Friday released a statement denouncing Mr Trump, under whom she’d served as US ambassador to the United Nations, for his frequent and repeated praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the statement, she said that Mr Trump “continues to side with Vladimir Putin—a man who kills his political opponents, holds American journalists hostage, and has never hidden his desire to destroy America”.

“Trump continues to side with Putin over our allies and our military service members,” she added.

Mr Trump, whose 2016 election victory was aided by Russia’s efforts to interfere in that year’s election — according to the US Intelligence Community and a report issued by the then-Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee — has long made a habit of refusing to criticise Mr Putin, and in some instances has issued glowing praise of the Russian dictator.

During his 2016 campaign, he told television hosts that he “respects” the Russian leader after he was told that Mr Putin murders journalists and opposition figures.

A succession of US officials, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, has placed blame on the Russian government for Navalny’s death in a prison colony in Siberia.

Ms Harris told attendees at the annual Munich Security Conference that the US government is still working to confirm the facts and circumstances of Navalny’s passing, but called the development “terrible news” while offering prayers to his family, including his wife Yulia Navalnaya, who is also attending the conference.

“If confirmed, this would be a further sign of Putin’s brutality,” said Ms Harris.

She added: “Whatever story they tell, let us be clear, Russia is responsible”.