Haley says US forces ‘need to align’ with countries including Russia; campaign says she misspoke

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In an interview, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley implied that US forces should build alliances with non-European nations, including Russia, to bolster global security. However, her campaign team later clarified that she had made a slip of the tongue.

During a segment on WMUR-TV where Haley was asked about the regions she believed the US should focus more on, she first mentioned the Arab world. Haley, who served as the United Nations ambassador in the Trump administration, expressed the need for Arab nations to unite with the US against Iran. She pointed out the undesirable situation of Saudi Arabia forging deals with China, asserting the need for them to stand with the US, as well as the need for the US to ally with other countries like Russia, Australia, Japan, and Israel.

Haley insisted on the necessity to focus more on non-European allies to ensure independence from potential adversaries in terms of energy and other resources, and to solidify global safety by building stronger alliances.

Later, her campaign clarified that Haley had misspoken when she grouped Russia with the other nations. Spokesman Ken Farnaso said it was absurd and assured that nobody has been more stringent with Russia than Haley. In a statement, Haley labelled Russia as an enemy and called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “thug.”

Haley was outspoken against Russia during her stint as U.N. ambassador, condemning their invasion of Crimea, and accusing them of supporting North Korea. She also criticized Russian corruption as a hindrance to achieving complete denuclearization in North Korea.

Within the Republican party, there’s disagreement on how the US should respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Haley has affirmed the importance of US support for Ukraine, arguing that a Russian victory could embolden nations like China and Iran. In contrast, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another GOP primary contender, downplayed the conflict as a “territorial dispute.”

DeSantis’s stance has drawn criticism from Republicans, and Haley herself argued that his view signaled “weakness.” After receiving criticism, DeSantis clarified his comments referred to the ongoing strife in eastern Donbas and Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Stand for America, a super PAC supporting Haley, has been highlighting the differences between Haley and DeSantis. A spokesman for Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting DeSantis, referred to Haley’s recent comment as unusual and likened it to her alignment with “woke Disney.”

Meanwhile, the US has increased its military aid to Ukraine in response to Russia’s ongoing invasion, with President Joe Biden approving a new aid package in late May worth up to $300 million. This aid includes additional munitions for drones and other weaponry, sourced from the Pentagon’s own stockpiles under presidential drawdown authority. The US has pledged over $37.6 billion in weapons and equipment to Ukraine since Russia initiated the attack in February 2022.

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• Trump Administration and Russia
• Ron DeSantis’s Profile