Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday that comments he made regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine were "mischaracterized."
After
downplaying the war in Ukraine earlier this month, he changed his tone
by referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "war criminal."
- DeSantis recently told
Fox News Host Tucker Carlson that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a
"territorial dispute," that was not "vital" to U.S. interests.
- His
statement appeared to be in line with the view of former president
Donald Trump, who has previously said the U.S. is providing too much support for Kyiv.
- DeSantis' comments were slammed by hawkish members of the Republican Party for downplaying the conflict.
- He told Piers
Morgan in an interview published in the New York Post on Wednesday that
his earlier comments were "mischaracterized" and missed his "larger
point."
- He said that his main point was that he did not believe Russia was capable of taking Ukraine or opposing NATO.
- DeSantis also said Ukraine has "the right" to territory seized by Russia and described Putin as a "war criminal."
- DeSantis is widely viewed as a frontrunner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, putting him in direct competition with Trump.
