In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, former North Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley said Thursday that "when tyrants make threats … we must believe them."
"At the UN, I saw Russian lies every day," the former U.N. ambassador tweeted. "Putin and his thugs do not think like we do. They do not respect human life. They disdain freedom. They only understand strength."
Congressional Republicans have blasted President Joe Biden's foreign policy, blaming what they say is his weakness on the world stage for inviting Russian aggression against Ukraine.
In an email on Tuesday, Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., told Fox News Digital that the president's geopolitical standing is "incredibly weak."
"President Biden is incredibly weak on the world stage, which is why Vladimir Putin thought this was a great time to invade Ukraine," McClain said.
Former President Donald Trump, who appointed Haley to her position as U.N. ambassador, said in a statement that "Putin is playing Biden like a drum. It is not a pretty thing to watch!"
Trump also said that the Biden administration largely bears the blame for the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ukraine.
"If properly handled, there was absolutely no reason that the situation currently happening in Ukraine should have happened at all," he said. "I know Vladimir Putin very well, and he would have never done during the Trump Administration what he is doing now, no way!"
In another post on Twitter, Haley implied that other countries that have their sights set on their neighbors have been watching to see what kind of reaction Russia would get moving into Ukraine.
"The West must learn that when tyrants make threats, they're serious," she said. "When Russia says it will attack Ukraine, when China says it will attack Taiwan, when jihadist Iran says it will attack Israel, we must believe them."
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