Vivek Ramaswamy Proposes ‘Major Concessions to Russia’ in Contentious Interview With ABC’s Martha Raddatz

ABC News’ Martha Raddatz cast doubts on Vivek Ramaswamy’s approach to foreign policy, especially his willingness to give “major concessions to Russia” to end the war in Ukraine.

The 2024 GOP candidate held a broad conversation with Raddatz on ABC’s This Week — during which his most recent policy speech was referenced. Raddatz focused on the part of his address in which Ramaswamy declared he would terminate U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, and that their war against Russia’s invading military doesn’t hold bearing on America’s interests.

“You do not believe that Russia taking over Ukraine would be bad for our national interests?” Raddatz asked.

Ramaswamy stood by his view that the war in Ukraine is not a top foreign policy priority for the United States.

“I don’t think it’s preferrable for Russia to invade a sovereign country that is its neighbor,” he said. “But I think the job of the U.S. president is to look after American interests. And what I think the number one threat to the U.S. Military right now, our top military threat, is the Sino-Russian alliance. I think that by fighting further in Russia, by further arming Ukraine, we are driving Russia into China’s hands, and that Sino-Russian alliance is the top threat we face.”

Ramaswamy noted that his speech included his position that the U.S. would end its support for Ukraine on the condition that Russia breaks off its alliance with China.

“How do you do this?! No one tells Vladimir Putin what to do!” Raddatz interjected. She also asked if Ramaswamy would be “rewarding” Putin with his proposal for Ukraine to hand the Donbas region over to Russia.

“I don’t trust Putin,” Ramaswamy said. “But I do trust Putin to follow his self-interest. I don’t think he enjoys being the little brother in with the relationship with Xi Jinping. So what I think we need to do is end the Ukraine war on peaceful terms that, yes, do make some major concessions to Russia, including freezing the current lines of control in a Korean war-style armistice agreement.”

Raddatz noted the proposal to be something Ukraine “really wouldn’t want to do.” Ramaswamy added that this would also mean Ukraine being permanently banned from NATO, but in exchange — according to his proposal — Russia’s agreements with China would be called off.

Watch above via ABC.

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