Donald Trump is giving a “green light” to Republicans in Congress to block extra US funding for Ukraine, Nancy Pelosi has claimed.
Describing Mr Trump as “grotesque”, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives also said he is “chummy” with Vladimir Putin, who she described as “just a very evil person”.
A new US funding package for Kyiv, worth £49bn, has passed through the Senate but is facing opposition in the House from hardline Republicans who want extra measures to stem a record flow of migrants arriving from Mexico.
Discussing Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi told Sky News: “He has ventured into the global scene by his chumminess with Putin.”
The veteran Democrat added that Mr Trump is “practically giving a green light to Republicans in Congress to hold up this funding for the war”, the purpose of which is to bring “victory sooner with fewer lives lost on either side”.
But it is “no use” talking to Mr Trump “because he’s just in a world of his own”, she added.
When discussing whether he will regain the White House in November, Mrs Pelosi said she was doubtful.
“He won once so people say he could win again,” she said. “I don’t think that is so.”
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Regarding Vladimir Putin, she said: “Is he sick? Is he crazy? And the answer I get back is no. He’s just a very evil person.”
Discussing the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Mrs Pelosi said it was a “source of great sadness” and Mr Navalny’s “courage gave people hope”.
Turning to the Middle East, she called for all the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza to be released and said Israel has a right to defend itself.
She said 7 October, when Hamas carried out its attacks in Israel, was a “terrible day” and something that “appalled” her.
She said she was “very sad”, however, that so many “innocent families” have been killed in Gaza as part of “collateral damage”.
Mrs Pelosi commented: “One of our fights in Congress is to get humanitarian assistance to them [Palestinians].”
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Referring to the conduct of the Israeli military, which says it does its best to minimise civilian casualties, Mrs Pelosi said the US administration “from what I can see has been very clear in its message to Israel in terms of respecting the lives of all of those people”.
There have been concerns about President Biden’s memory and his mental fitness to continue as US president.
But Mrs Pelosi said he is a “great president” who has “accomplished a great deal” and has a “beautiful vision for America”.
She added that it was curious there was press interest in Mr Biden’s age when journalists “overwhelmingly think Trump is too old too”.
Mr Trump, she added, is “not in any way as qualified to be president”.
:: Watch the whole interview on The World with Yalda Hakim on Sky News at 9pm on Monday.