U.S. President Donald Trump spoke in an interview with Politico about issues such as Russia, elections, the conflict in Ukraine, and the prospect of Ukraine's NATO membership.
- This year, POLITICO named you the most influential figure shaping policy in Europe. Previously, this list included President Zelensky, Prime Minister of Georgia Meloni, and President Orban. For the first time in the ten-year history of P28, your name has become the first among Americans. Clearly, your influence on the continent and its politics is significant.
Currently, one of the most pressing issues in Europe is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Your team is constantly working on...
- I wouldn’t call it one of the problems. It is the most...
- The most...
- Yes, exactly.
- Right. Your team is actively engaging with both Putin and Zelensky, offering various options for a peace plan. Which side do you think currently holds a more advantageous position in the negotiations?
- It is undoubtedly Russia. It is significantly larger in size. This is a war that should not have happened. Honestly, if I were president, it wouldn’t have happened, and everything would have been calm for four years. I noticed that the situation was escalating, and it could have turned into World War III. I think that is now unlikely. If I hadn’t been president, we could have faced a much more serious problem than we have now. But for Europe, it is still a big problem, and it is not handling it properly.
- Your team reported that they are unsure of President Zelensky's readiness to accept the latest proposal, and it is unclear whether he agrees. On Thanksgiving, your advisors believed that the conflict could be resolved by the end of the holidays, but that did not happen. Where do you see the problem — in Zelensky or something else?
- He needs to familiarize himself with the proposal. I think he hasn’t read it yet.
- The latest version.
- As of yesterday. Perhaps he reviewed it overnight. It would be good if he did. Many people are losing their lives, and it would be wonderful if he found the time for it. His team reacted positively to the proposal, but they said he hasn’t looked at it yet. I hope he does so soon.
- Do you think it is time for Ukraine to hold elections?
- Yes, I think so. The situation has dragged on, and everything is not very good. Yes, it is time for elections. They are using the war as an excuse not to hold elections, but the Ukrainian people should have the opportunity to choose. Perhaps Zelensky would win, but I don’t know who exactly. They haven’t held elections in a long time. They talk about democracy, but at some point, it stops being democracy.
- On Sunday, your son, Donald Trump Jr., mentioned that you might withdraw support for Ukraine. Is that true?
- No, that is not the case. But there is a grain of truth in it. They need to act within the rules. If they do not familiarize themselves with the agreements, negotiating with Russia will be difficult because Russia has a clear advantage. It has always had it. I admire the courage of the Ukrainian people and their army, but in such situations, size often wins. Here, size really matters. Look at the numbers — they are just colossal.
This war should not have happened. It wouldn’t have started if I were president. It is tragic; millions of people have died, many soldiers. Last month, Ukraine lost 27,000 soldiers, and this is a terrible situation for all humanity.
This does not concern us. Our country stopped sending money since Biden foolishly allocated them $350 billion. If he hadn’t done that, perhaps everything would have gone differently.
Burns: But you, sir…
President Trump: Putin does not respect Biden and has no respect for Zelensky — they truly hate each other. And this complicates the possibility of reaching an agreement significantly. It is more complicated than usual. I have settled eight wars, and this... I would say it would be the ninth. This could have been one of the easiest. I settled a conflict that lasted 36 years between Pakistan and India. I am proud of that. It is my job to make deals. This war is complicated. The reason is that the level of hatred between Putin and Zelensky is enormous.
Burns: You are right; you do not spend money, but you spend your time and energy…
Trump: Yes, I want…
Burns: … on this.
Trump: I want to stop seeing people being killed.
Burns: If… if Zelensky rejects the deal…
Trump: Yes.
Burns: … is there a moment when you will say, "Okay"?
Trump: He will have to act and make decisions. If he is losing — and he is losing…
Burns: Do you think Ukraine has already lost this war?
