Sioux Falls, SD, October 20, 2026 —

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Russian President Vladimir Putin is manipulating former President Donald Trump over U.S. policy toward Ukraine, according to the information provided about Tillis’s remarks.

Tillis warned that Trump would face historical criticism if he were to abandon Ukraine. He also characterized Putin’s stated reasons for the invasion as false.

The remarks place Tillis’s criticism around two points: his view of Putin’s influence on Trump and the potential historical consequences for Trump if U.S. policy were to leave Ukraine without support. The information provided does not specify what policy actions Tillis considers abandonment, or describe any particular proposal by Trump.

The date and setting of Tillis’s remarks were not provided, and no verbatim quotation was included. The information also does not include responses from Trump or Putin, or further details about the reasons Putin has given for the invasion. As a result, the scope of Tillis’s comments and the specific context in which he made them are unclear.

Tillis’s statement is a warning about a possible course of action, rather than a report that Trump has abandoned Ukraine. No change in U.S. policy or subsequent development was included in the information provided.


Story summarized from the original created by Alexander Bolton on thehill.com, see more information here.

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