(PresidentialInsider.com)- Inna Vernikov, a member of the New York City Council who was born in Ukraine, recently met with former President Donald Trump, who “expressed his solidarity” with people from her home country, which is dealing with Russia’s senseless war launched three weeks ago.
On Sunday, the Republican city councilwoman revealed she met with Trump recently. In the past, she’s said that Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, is a “terrorist” for the actions he took to invade Ukraine.
Vernikov, who represents the Southern Brooklyn district, tweeted a picture of her and Trump giving a thumbs up sign over the weekend. She then added the caption:
“Grateful to have met with President Trump. He commended me for flipping my seat from Democrat to Republican & we discussed the need to bring back our beloved NYC. He expressed his solidarity with the people of Ukraine & sent prayers and love for my constituents from Ukraine.”
Vernikov has described herself in the past as a “Ukrainian-born American Jew.” The 37-year-old city councilwoman has said that the former president had great positions on foreign policy when he was in the White House.
On Sunday afternoon, she also tweeted:
“I thanked him for all he has done for our country and the peace he brought to the Middle East with the Abraham Accord and by exiting the disastrous Iran Deal. I look forward to a continued relationship with the unparalleled 45th president of the United States.”
Vernikov immigrated to the United States from Ukraine when she was only 12 years old. At the time, Ukraine was still under control of the former Soviet Union. She obviously holds strong feelings against Russia and Putin to this day.
Just recently, she went off on Putin while speaking at the convention of the New York State GOP. There, she said Putin has “lost his mind” and has intentions to “destroy democracy.”
Speaking at the event in Garden City on Long Island on March 1, Vernikov said:
“What a dark, dark moment in our history. The people in Ukraine are suffering at the hands of a terrorist. And growing up in the region, I know that President Putin has always been a tyrant, but now he has officially lost his mind.
“I think that all this is about is more power. I think he wants to destroy democracy, and I think he wants to bring the Soviet Union back.”
Vernikov’s speech didn’t just focus on Ukraine, though. She also mentioned how her own victory in the 2021 election for her City Council seat that was once occupied by Democrat Chaim Deutsch is an encouraging sign to Republicans throughout what has always been known a deep blue state.
She recently said that:
“My victory should send a very loud and clear message to Republicans all over this state: As President Barack Obama used to say: ‘Yes we can.’ We can and we will win.”
