Ex-Trump advisor: Trump must avoid pro-Putin image

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00:00But do you think he has to perhaps go a little easy on Ukraine?

00:03Because he's been pretty tough on President Zelensky.

00:06I do.

00:07In our last interview, you asked me why is he saying stronger comments against Zelensky,

00:13and I explained that he's trying to show that he holds the cards here and that he can get

00:18a deal on the table for the Russians and negotiate with them.

00:24The one thing I would say, though, too, is for Americans, I think Vladimir Putin

00:28is the least popular, most hated foreign adversary of the United States right now.

00:34And the key is, is for the Trump administration and President Trump to be able to explain that

00:42he cannot, he's not going to be in the business of criticizing Vladimir Putin,

00:48which by the way, he's never done.

00:49But Marco Rubio, for instance, the Secretary of State has called him a thug and a gangster,

00:53that he can't do that right now while he's trying to negotiate and mediate.

00:57But yes, that is an issue.

00:59That is a thorny issue that you bring up, where there really is a fine line politically

01:06for him to do.

01:06He cannot be seen as being pro-Putin.

01:10He cannot be seen as being pro-Putin.

01:12So he should be saying more publicly that we're negotiating from a point of strength,

01:17but he will verify, he will trust but verify, and things along those lines.

01:23But yes, I would agree with you that this could be a problem for him.

01:26It could be problematic going forward.