As a former first lady, senator, and secretary of state, Hillary Clinton had more knowledge and experience in foreign relations than her presidential campaign rival, Donald Trump. Although she lost the election (she won the popular vote), no one can deny that some of her warnings both before and after Trump’s election have all been accurate.
In an interview in Abi Dhabi, where Clinton was honored on International Women’s Day with a Lifetime Achievement Award, the former secretary of state with a significant amount of experience handling Russian President Vladimir Putin, told MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski that Russia’s attack on Ukraine is far from over.
‘It’s so heartbreaking to me that Putin is acting out his own insecurities, his own resentments and grievances against the people of Ukraine — waging a war against a smaller state that is totally unprovoked. It really tells us everything we need to know about Putin.’
She also explained that Putin is unlikely to back off the attack, despite any sanctions or recriminations against him by the West. She praised the brave people of Ukraine for their fighting spirit and accomplishments so far in preventing a full takeover by Russia and Putin.
‘I don’t know how it ends, but I think the person who is most surprised that it is still going on is probably Vladimir Putin. The level of defense and determination that the Ukrainian people are showing – starting with their president, President Zelenskyy, going all the way down to the grandmothers and young women taking up arms… It’s tragic, but inspiring. I hope the world will stay with Ukraine while they try to protect their homeland.’
On International Women’s Day, Clinton discussed what the war in Ukraine looks like for the women there and how significantly their lives have been affected by this tragedy. On the subject of this pointless attack, the longtime feminist and women’s advocate mourned the fate of those poor women driven from their homes and families.
‘I think, first of all, it is shock. You know, two weeks ago, these people — especially these women — they were taking care of their babies, they were planning their weddings, they were going to work, they were continuing their education. And because of a leader of a much larger country on their border decided he wanted to stamp out their way of life, they are now fleeing for safety or standing up against that military force.’
