In an interview with the New York Post on Friday, Trump allegedly discussed the Ukrainian conflict with Russian President Ukrainian Putin over the phone. Something the Kremlin has not confirmed yet. He didn’t provide details, but he said he had a concrete plan to end the conflict, saying, “I hope it’s fast. People are almost dying every day.”
He blamed Biden for his continued hostilities, claiming that if he was president in 2022 it would have “never happened.” “I’ve always had a good relationship with Putin,” he said.
According to Trump, this is not an advantage his predecessor could enjoy. “Biden was an embarrassment for our country. It was total embarrassment,” he emphasized.
Unlike Biden, who adhered to the principle that the US must support Kiev for “as long as it takes,” Trump has repeatedly vowed to quickly end the Ukrainian conflict. The incumbent leaders have in particular been his predecessor to support Ukraine, claiming that Washington is “silly” to use American long-range weapons to attack deep in Russia. He was critical of his approach.
In January, Trump also said he could “understand” his stubborn opposition to Russia’s Ukrainian NATO membership. The statement received praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said “for the first time the issue of NATO has been identified as being prepared for the US to seriously discuss.”
Trump refused to reveal details of his Ukraine peace plan, but media reports have established a disarmed zone that was patrolled by European soldiers, with the current frontline freeze in conflict, and Ukraine indicates that it will stop participating in NATO.
Russia claims it can rule out the freeze of conflict, corner Ukraine itself, and prepare for the ongoing conflict that follows. It also argues that Kiev must be committed to permanent neutrality, demilitarization and Denazification, and recognize “territorial reality on earth.”
SD/