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Hinson calls Putin ‘murderer,’ says US should not make deals with Russia Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) on Sunday called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “murderer” and urged that the U.S. not make any deals with Russia. ABC News’s “This Week” host Jonathan Karl asked Hinson, a Senate candidate and a staunch supporter of Ukraine, what she made of U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff’s remark to Putin last week calling the Russian leader a “humanitarian.” “He’s not a humanitarian, he is a murderer,” she said. “I don’t think we should be making deals with murderers and dictators, and that’s why I stood up for Ukraine. I think that Ukraine is a freedom-loving country … We should not be allowing a dictator to win.” Hinson said she traveled to Ukraine to meet with its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and called the country’s people “incredibly resilient.” She reiterated that the U.S. should not make deals with Russia, saying she voted for a sanctions package targeting Russia. President Trump waived sanctions on Russia weeks later. “And, frankly, I’ve been banned from going [to Russia], so I think that sends a very clear message about my approach to Russia,” Hinson continued. “Again, I want to bring all these conflicts abroad to an end as quickly as possible. I don’t think anybody likes forever wars, but certainly we cannot be empowering dictators to win more.” Karl said the Iowa Republican outlined two strong differences between her and Trump, and asked how she would challenge him on those fronts. “You challenge him in person, right?” she said. “And that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’m not afraid to tell him when I think he’s wrong on something. And again, when he’s right, I will be the fiercest ally for someone. And I think that’s how Iowans expect you to do your job. They don’t like empty rhetoric.” Witkoff faced backlash for the praise he gave Putin during a meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the special envoy announced the release of American teacher Stephen Hubbard. Republican lawmakers questioned the remark, with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) writing on the social platform X, “WTF, Steve?” Trump’s executive order earlier this month to waive sanctions on Russia was also met with blowback from lawmakers. He said last Wednesday that Hubbard’s release was related to waiving sanctions meant to strangle Russia’s ability to continue waging its war on Ukraine, and he received “numerous” apologies after criticizing him. “If sanctions would have been placed, certainly those negotiations would have come to a complete and total halt,” he wrote on Truth Social. The response to the waiver was coupled with Trump’s diesel deal with the Kremlin, with the intent to lower diesel prices amid the energy shortage caused by the Iran war. Lawmakers slammed the deal, with five House Republicans signing a letter urging that he cancel the deal. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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