Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Carter: Russian invasion of Crimea ‘inevitable’

Carter

AP Photo/John Bazemore

Former President Jimmy Carter is flanked by his wife Rosalynn as he speaks during “Conversations at the Carter Center” Tuesday. Sept. 15, 2009 in Atlanta.

NEW YORK — Former President Jimmy Carter says the Crimean annexation was "inevitable" because Russia considers it to be part of their country and so many Crimeans consider themselves Russian.

But he says Russian President Vladimir Putin shouldn't be permitted to go any further.

On the "Late Show with David Letterman" Monday, Carter recounted when then-Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev invaded Afghanistan in 1979.

Carter recalled the U.S. ambassador, declared an embargo and withdrew from the Olympics. Then, Carter said, "We began to arm the freedom fighters."

He says that was "successful at stopping them there."

Carter says he believes no matter how President Barack Obama or European nations tried to head off the takeover, Putin would have gone ahead with it, but he shouldn't be allowed to go further.

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