Donald Trump Calls Putin ‘Genius’ for Declaring Ukrainian Regions ‘Independent’

A state of emergency has been declared in Ukraine, with reservists as old as 60 years old being called up as Russia poses itself for what seems to be a likely invasion of the country. Vladimir Putin declared two regions of Ukraine sympathetic to Russia “independent,” a move Donald Trump called “genius.” In an interview on a conservative podcast, Trump praised Putin’s incursion into the neighboring country, drawing ire. His former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also took heat for complimenting Putin.