Endorsing Republican nominee Donald Trump for the November 2024 US presidential election, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said that Russian President Vladimir Putin refrained from “invasions” and “wars” when Trump was the US president. Haley was a former leading rival of Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.
She stated that when Barack Obama was president, Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea, and under Joe Biden’s presidency, he invaded all of Ukraine. However, Putin knew “Donald Trump was tough”, she said at the Republican National Convention.
“When Donald Trump was president, Putin did nothing. No invasions, no warsâ€æPutin didn’t attack Ukraine because he knew Donald Trump was tough. A strong president doesn’t start wars, a strong president prevents wars,” Haley asserted.
Haley, who is also a former UN ambassador, also praised Donald Trump's foreign policy during his previous presidency.
"In this moment, we have a chance to set aside our differences, and focus on what unites us and strengthens our country," she said in her address at the Republican convention days after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump during an election rally.
She further stressed unity in her speech, and said, "Our foreign enemies win when they see Americans hate each other. They see that today, whether it’s on college campuses or in a field in Butler, Pennsylvania. But we can conquer those fears with strength and unity".
Haley, who had described Trump as unelectable and unfit for office during her campaign, urged her supporters to vote for him over Democratic President Joe Biden "for the sake of our nation", adding that "You don't have to agree with Trump 100 per cent of the time to vote for him".
During her campaign, Haley had been highly critical of Dold Trump, alleging that the former President was siding with Vladimir Putin.