Before presidential run, Trump called Russia the "biggest problem" and geopolitical foe of U.S.

In a series of interviews in March of 2014, Donald Trump singled out Russia as the United States’ “biggest problem” and greatest geopolitical foe.

Trump’s comments more than two years ago, which came in the wake of Russian incursions into Crimea, offer a sharp contrast to the Russia-friendly rhetoric he has employed since launching his presidential campaign.

In the interviews reviewed by CNN’s KFile from March 2014, which occurred on NBC News and Fox News, Trump goes as far as to suggest imposing sanctions to hurt Russia economically and then later says he supports such sanctions. Trump also expressed his agreement with former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s 2012 assessment that Russia is the United States’ number one “geopolitical foe.”

“Well, Mitt was right, and he was also right when he mentioned in one of the debates about Russia, and he said, ‘Russia’s our biggest problem, and Russia is, you know, really something,'” Trump said on the March 24, 2014 edition of “Fox and Friends.”