Former US President Donald Trump has suggested disguising American military aircraft with Chinese flags and then using those planes to "bomb the s**t out of Russia" to stop the invasion of Ukraine.
Trump was speaking at Republican National Committee's New Orleans retreat on Saturday night (local time) when he jokingly suggested that the way to end the conflict in Ukraine was to start a war between China and Russia.
He suggested putting "the Chinese flag" on American F-22 jets and then "bomb the s**t out of Russia", according to CBS News.
"And then we say, 'China did it,'" Trump added as the crowd laughed. "Then they start fighting with each other, and we sit back and watch."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has seen the civilian death toll rise to 364, including more than 20 children on Sunday, according to the United Nations, with hundreds more injured.
Trump has quickly changed his tune on Russian President Vladimir Putin after last month calling him a "genius" and praising him as "smart", "savvy" and "brilliant".
"I mean, he's taking over a country for two dollars' worth of sanctions," Trump said on 23 February. "I'd say that's pretty smart."
But on Saturday, Trump quickly changed his view. He called Putin's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine a "massive crime against humanity".
"Are all of these nations going to stand by and watch perhaps millions of people be slaughtered as the onslaught continues?" he asked, according to CBS News.
"At what point do countries say, 'No, we can't take this massive crime against humanity?' We can't let it happen. We can't let it continue to happen."
Trump went on to praise North Korean President Kim Jong-un in the wide-ranging speech.
He described Kim's hold over North Korea as "total control", saying he was impressed with how generals and staff "cowered" in his presence.
"His people were sitting at attention," Trump said. "I looked at my people and said, 'I want my people to act like that.'"
