- Former Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman accused Trump and the GOP of emboldening Vladimir Putin.
- He said the GOP had "blood on its hands" over the Ukraine crisis.
- Vindman testified in Trump's first impeachment investigation.
Former Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who rose to prominence as a witness in Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, said the the Republican Party has "blood on its hands" for emboldening Russia to invade Ukraine.
Vindman, who is Ukrainian-American, made the comments in an interview with Salon that was published on Monday.
He said that Trump's refusal to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the factors that led Putin to act. He also blamed Trump for weakening the US internally with his divisive politics.
He singled out Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Fox News host Tucker Carlson for criticism, highlighting their praise for Putin even as it became clear that he would invade.
"The Tucker Carlsons, the Donald Trumps, the Mike Pompeos, they and other Republicans are going to have to own this issue because they are the reason that Russia launched this operation," said Vindman.
Vindman, who served as the top Europe expert on the National Security Council, said that the domestic divisions exposed by the Jan 6 riot had likely been a factor in Putin deciding to act now.
"Putin, like Trump, smells vulnerability and exploits it. Vladimir Putin perceived that the United States was distracted and vulnerable. He's been testing our resolve. He's been getting positive signals in that regard," he said.
"There is blood on the Republican Party's hands. They were partially responsible for what is happening in Ukraine," he said.
"Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump were basically as popular on Russian TV as they are here in this country. They're constantly being played there. What is the impression given? The United States is divided, and there's an opportunity there. So these folks now own it."
Vindman was serving as director for European affairs on the National Security Council when he was subpoenaed in 2019 by lawmakers probing allegations Trump had abused his power in witholding military aid from Ukraine.
Vindman testified that he thought a phone call in which Trump sought to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to produce dirt on Joe Biden was improper, prompting a backlash of criticism from Trump and his allies.
Vindman is currently suing several allies of Trump, claiming they waged a campaign of intimidation to stop him testifying.
He accused them of punishing him for his testimony by spreading lies about him and forcing him from his job, which ultimately led to him resigning from the military in summer 2020.
In recent weeks he has criticized Trump and his allies for their stance on Russia, but also said that Biden had not done enough to deter its aggression.