President Trump suggested that Ukraine might not be able to survive against Russia even if the US forged ahead with full-blown support for its fight.
Trump’s remarks came while defending his decision to draw down support to Ukraine in the face of Polish President Andrzej Duda’s and others’ concerns that Europe lacks the might to prop up Kyiv without the US.
“Well, it may not survive anyway,” Trump told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” in an interview that aired Sunday.
“We have some weaknesses with Russia,” Trump added. “It takes two. Look, it was not going to happen — that war and it happened. So now we’re stuck with this mess.”
Last week, CIA director John Ratcliffe confirmed that most intelligence sharing with Ukraine has been paused.
The Trump administration has also halted aid to Ukraine. Ukraine peace envoy Keith Kellogg has publicly said that the US could resume intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine if Kyiv finalizes a mineral agreement.
Ukrainian and American officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia this week.
Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky got into a blow-up during a meeting inside the Oval Office that was captured on camera late last month. Following that spat, the White House booted Zelensky, and the mineral deal that was set to be finalized during that visit was left unsigned.
“You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump sternly told Zelensky during their heated clash.
Zelensky, 47, later penned a note to Trump, conveying gratitude for US aid to Ukraine and expressing a desire to end the bloody conflict.
“The letter reads: Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians,” Trump recounted during an address to a joint session of Congress last week.
In a break from the Biden administration’s policies, Trump has tried to position himself toward the center of the Russia-Ukraine war, whereas previous US policy had been steadfastly behind Kyiv.
The president has prioritized his objective of brokering peace between the two warring countries and believes that a less hostile stance toward Russia will make that possible.
Much of his focus has been on putting pressure on Ukraine — at least in the public eye.
But last week, Trump also threatened sanctions and other penalties against Russia as Moscow continued bombarding Ukraine amid the president’s efforts to pursue peace.
Russia is already facing some of the fiercest sanctions the US has ever dished out due to its unprovoked invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
Despite his recent warning against Russia, Trump clarified that he finds it “more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine” than Russia, as Kyiv scrambles to defend its lands from foreign invaders.
At home, Trump has faced pro-Ukraine protests outside the White House and around Washington, DC, from demonstrators who bemoan his departure from prior US policy of steadfastly backing Kyiv.
Ukraine had widely been expected to quickly fold under pressure from the Russian military since its invasion began. Nearly three years later, Kyiv’s government is still intact, and the two warring nations have found themselves ensnared in protracted warfare.
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