‘Very Dangerous’: National Review Rakes Trump Over the Coals for Trying to Get Ukraine to ‘Surrender to Russia’
AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov
National Review raked President Donald Trump over coals over his attempts at forcing Ukraine to accept an unfavorable peace with Russia in an editorial published on Thursday, warning of the “very dangerous future” he might create.
On Wednesday, Trump laid into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, writing the following in a post on Truth Social:
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is boasting on the front page of The Wall Street Journal that, “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There’s nothing to talk about here.” This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion. Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired? The area also houses, for many years before “the Obama handover,” major Russian submarine bases. It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country. I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever. The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the “killing field,” and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with “no cards to play” should now, finally, GET IT DONE. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia, get out of this Complete and Total MESS, that would have never started if I were President!
In its editorial, the long-running conservative magazine expressed its displeasure with Trump’s rhetoric.
“On the face of it, the members of the Trump administration who set out their ideas for the basis of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine appear to know as little about dealmaking as they do about diplomacy as they do about Russia. The suggestion that Ukraine should legally cede Crimea to Russia, something that had not been on the table before, does nothing other than strengthen Moscow’s negotiating position, while sending a terrible message to both Kyiv and the European members of NATO (a message that will not be overlooked by China or those threatened by it). Kyiv has rejected the idea, and the peace process (such as it is) is in disarray,” it began before warning Trump that Vladimir Putin would not see the U.S. recognizing Crimea as Russian as a “goodwill gesture,” but “an admission of weakness.”
The piece went on to argue that Trump has forfeited leverage to Russia before concluding:
If the administration, which has foolishly muddied the waters with its belligerent talk about Canada and Greenland (not to speak of slanging matches over X with President Zelensky, a practice both sides should cease), is not serious about continuing to stand up for the very basic principle that countries should not invade their neighbors, then the world, not just Ukraine, will face a very dangerous future.
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