At a time when negotiations to achieve peace in Ukraine are progressing timidly and with few commitments, US President Donald Trump believes that Russia has the upper hand in the war –"it always has" – and that the country's military power should be reflected in any possible agreement reached between the two sides. In an interview with the newspaper Politico, the Republican criticizes the way European politicians have conducted the talks between Kiev and Moscow, saying that they"talk a lot, but don't get results."
"Russia has the advantage. And always has. It is much bigger and stronger in that sense [militarily]. I give enormous credit to the people and armed forces of Ukraine for their courage and struggle. But, in the end, size will prevail – and this is a big difference in size," says the US President, urging Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader, to start accepting some concessions – especially since he is"losing" the war.
"They [Ukrainians] lost territory long before I got here [to the US presidency]. They lost an entire coastal strip, a large coastal strip. They lost a lot of territory, and it was very good territory that they lost. Certainly, you can't say it was a victory," he added in an interview with the American newspaper, referring to the advances of Russian forces in areas such as Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
Despite Donald Trump believing that Russia has a clear advantage in this war, Moscow's forces have struggled to achieve all the objectives set by Vladimir Putin. A war that was supposed to end in days is about to enter its fourth year, and the Kremlin has still not managed to secure the entire Donbas region – essentially composed of Donetsk and Luhansk, which is quite rich in mineral resources.
In recent weeks, the US has intensified mediation efforts to find a solution to the conflict. Washington presented a 28-point proposal to Russia and Ukraine that involved Kiev ceding territories and a series of other measures that both Zelensky and several European leaders considered unacceptable. However, the proposal has been under negotiation between the various parties (with limited developments), and Donald Trump claims that he presented a new draft to Ukrainian officials as recently as Monday.
Zelensky has not yet had the opportunity to review the proposal, according to the US President, but earlier this week Zelensky revealed that negotiations continue to stall on the point of ceding territories. Here, Trump is adamant:"He [the President of Ukraine] will have to get moving and start accepting something, especially since he's losing."
"Weak leaders" in a "Europe that doesn't know what to do"
In the same interview, the US President did not spare European leaders from criticism. Using inflammatory language, Donald Trump accused them of being"weak" and too concerned with being "politically correct." "I think they don't know what they're doing. Europe doesn't know what it's doing," he stated.
In addition to the lack of progress in peace negotiations in Ukraine, the leader of the world's largest economy points the finger at what he says are erratic immigration policies in the 27-nation bloc, which threaten the existence of current borders. Trump even claims that cities like London and Paris will be overwhelmed by the burden of immigration from the Middle East and Africa, and he also pledges to support candidates who reflect his positions in various European elections.
The US President is not ruling out further military action in Latin America, after sending troops to the Caribbean to pressure the regime of Nicolás Maduro, which he accuses of exporting drugs and"dangerous people" to the US. Interventions could also extend to Mexico and Colombia, and Trump has not ruled out ordering troops into Venezuela.
