Categories: Russia Ukraine war

Trump suggests Ukraine should have avoided fighting Russia

PARIS, FRANCE - DECEMBER 07: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY - MANDATORY CREDIT - 'UKRAINIAN PRESIDENCY / HANDOUT' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) and US president-elect Donald Trump (L) shakes hands after their meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, France on December 07, 2024. (Photo by Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

In a recent Fox News interview, Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine should not have fought back against Russia when it invaded in February 2022. He argued that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy should have sought a deal with Russian President Putin to prevent the war. Trump emphasized the disparity in military strength, pointing out that Russia had more tanks, and claimed he could have easily brokered a deal to avoid the conflict.

Contrasting Stances on Ukraine’s Defense

PARIS, FRANCE – DECEMBER 07: French president Emmanuel Macron (C) interacts with president elect, Donald Trump, (R) and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Elysee palace on December 07, 2024 in Paris, France. Donald Trump was among the wave of foreign dignitaries descending on Paris this weekend to attend a reopening ceremony at Notre-Dame Cathedral, more than five years after it was damaged in a major fire. (Photo by Remon Haazen/Getty Images)

Trump’s remarks stand in contrast to the approach taken by President Biden and his administration. Biden has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s resistance, providing extensive aid and sanctions against Russia. Trump, however, criticized Zelenskyy’s decision to fight, calling him “no angel” and suggesting that the war could have been avoided through diplomacy.

Trump’s Diplomacy Claims and the Ongoing War

Trump further claimed that he could have ended the war within one day through negotiations that would benefit both sides. Despite these claims, there has been no sign of a resolution to the ongoing conflict. Trump met with Zelenskyy in September and reiterated his desire to negotiate a deal to end the war.

Herbert Bauernebel

Herbert Bauernebel has been reporting from New York since 1999 and currently works for Bild.de, OE24 TV, and US Live. He also runs the news portal AmerikaReport.de. Bauernebel has covered nearly all major US events of the past quarter-century, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama’s election, Donald Trump’s surprise victory, the pandemic, last year’s election showdown, as well as natural disasters such as hurricanes and oil spills. He has also reported firsthand on international events, including the Asian tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, and the Fukushima disaster. He lives in Brooklyn with his family and holds degrees in communication and political science from the University of Vienna. Bauernebel is the author of a book about his experiences on 9/11, And the Air Was Full of Ash: 9/11 – The Day That Changed My Life.