Former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Sunday said the recent domestic uncertainty in Russia spurred by the Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s brief revolt could “move us closer to a resolution” in the Ukraine war.
Christie, a former ABC News contributor running for a shot at the Oval Office in 2024, told ABC This Week anchor Jonathan Karl that the weekend revolt by the paramilitary group in Russia could be a damaging sign to Putin’s leadership among his own people.
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“I think that what this may do, Jon, is move us closer to a resolution of this battle because of Putin’s weakness that’s obvious now inside his own country, I think, in large part, because of the way he’s prosecuted this war,” Christie said.
The 2024 GOP contender also restated his support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia and hit out at President Joe Biden, along with the past two administrations, for their handling of Russia.
“Putin’s misadventure and all the missteps that happened by the Biden administration, the Trump administration, and the Obama administration on this issue have led to this moment,” Christie said.
Christie also blasted members of his own party who have advocated halting aid to Ukraine.
“America has never been a great country and the leader of the world by filling in the moat and pulling up the drawbridge,” Christie said. “You know, we need to make sure that we’re engaged because, believe me, this is the first fight in the proxy war with China. China is funding this war for Russia by buying Russian oil.”
Last month, Christie hit out at presidential hopeful Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for his characterization of the conflict in Ukraine as a “territorial dispute.”
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The former New Jersey governor has used his unabashed support of Ukraine as a way to distinguish himself from the likes of DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, the latter of which has signaled he would attempt to broker a deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I think it’s very clear what we need to do. We need to give the Ukrainians every piece of military hardware they need to protect themselves against this aggression, and we need to continue to do it until they are ready to resolve the conflict with Russia,” Christie said in an appearance on CNN on June 7.
