Reagan must be rolling in his grave – Democrat senator Slotkin on Trump's attitude to Russia

Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin has criticised US President Donald Trump's attitude to Russia's war against Ukraine, adding that President Ronald Reagan, whose phrase "peace through strength" is repeated by Trump, would be shocked.

"President Trump loves to say peace through strength – that’s actually a line he stole from Ronald Reagan. But let me tell you, after the spectacle that just took place in the Oval Office last week [a spat between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – ed.], Reagan must be rolling in his grave," Slotkin after Trump’s speech at Congress said, as quoted by The Washington Post.

The senator added that, as a child born during the Cold War, she was grateful that Reagan was in power in the 1980s and not Trump because "Trump would have lost us the Cold War."

Slotkin framed the Democratic Party's response to the US president's speech as a call for responsible governance instead of reckless leadership. She emphasised that Trump's actions could lead to the country's economic demise.

"[Trump] believes in cozying up to dictators like Vladimir Putin and kicking our friends like the Canadians in the teeth. He sees American leadership as merely a series of real estate transactions. … Trump’s actions suggest that in his heart, he doesn’t believe we’re an exceptional nation," she said.  

The Washington Post noted that Slotkin is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party. She won the election in Michigan, a swing state where President Trump also won. In her first few weeks in the Senate, Slotkin has sought to establish herself as a moderate voice backed by extensive national security experience.

In his speech to Congress on Tuesday, Trump said he appreciated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's willingness to sign a mineral deal with the US and to sit down at the negotiating table under his leadership.

Trump also said that the US will get Greenland "one way or another".