Trump has privately asserted that Russia and Ukraine “want to save face, they want a way out” and that some Ukrainians “would be OK” with belonging to Russia, a person who spoke directly with Trump told the Post.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the possibility of turning over land. Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine has entered its third year, with more than
A Trump campaign spokesperson called the article “speculation” but did not address the Post’s specific questions about the reported strategy, which would reverse President Joe Biden’s attempt to blunt Russian expansion with military aid to Ukraine. The president’s approach has put him at odds with many Republicans.
Foreign policy experts and at least one prominent GOP senator took a dim view of Trump’s reported thinking. “He can’t win at the end of this,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose aggression would be rewarded if the ceding of Ukrainian territory came to pass. Caving to Russia for a cease-fire would not guarantee Ukraine future peace with its neighbor either, Stimson Center senior fellow Emma Ashford told the paper. “That is a terrible deal,” she said of Trump’s alleged proposal.David Cameron Set For Crunch Ukraine Aid Meeting With Top US RepublicanSign up and we will email you daily with the best of our political and news coverage while also giving you a taste of our most-popular lifestyle, opinion and personal blogs.