Ukraine reaching a compromise with Russia could have resulted in minimal losses of territory and life, according to former President Donald Trump.
The 45th U.S. president outlined this possibility during a Sept. 17 interview with NBC News' Kristen Welker. He argued that the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February 2022, could have been prevented had Kyiv sat down with Moscow to ink a peace deal.
Per the former chief executive's words, the loss of Ukrainian territory to Russia is "something that could have been negotiated." He told Welker that "a lot of people" expected Kyiv to give up its claims to "Crimea and other parts of the country" in exchange for peace.
"So they could have made a deal where there's less territory [lost] than Russia has already taken. They could have made a deal where nobody was killed, [and] they would have had a Ukrainian country. Now, nobody even knows if Ukraine is going to be totally taken over."
According to Russia Today (RT), Trump may be referring to the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics with his "other parts of the country" statement. Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the sovereignty of both Donetsk and Luhansk days before Moscow launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
Crimea voted to rejoin Russia in 2014. Eight years later, the two people's republics – formerly regions under Ukrainian administration – joined Russia following referendums held in September 2022. The Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions also followed suit, voting to join the Russian Federation.
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Trump also claimed during his interview with Welker that he kept Ukraine and Russia "from doing anything" during his presidency. He cited, in particular, the low oil prices that characterized his term in the White House following his victory in the 2016 presidential elections. Trump argued that the low oil prices would have made it too costly for Russia – a leading oil exporter – to finance a military operation.
Trump promises peace deal between Russia, Ukraine if elected in 2024
Trump then repeated his promise that if elected in the 2024 presidential race, he would have a peace deal worked out between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours. He voiced out his intent to invite Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into one room with him to work out a deal.
"It would have been easier if the [Russia-Ukraine] war didn't start, and you'd have hundreds of thousands of people living, most importantly," Trump noted. "But I can get it done, and I can get it done quickly."
The former president outlined his plan to bring about peace between Moscow and Kyiv in July during an interview with Maria Bartiromo of Fox News. Trump mentioned that he knew both leaders "very well," sharing his plan to utilize his "good relationship" with both Putin and Zelensky.
"I would tell Zelensky, 'No more, you got to make a deal.' I would [also] tell Putin, 'If you don't make a deal, we're going to give him a lot. We're going to [give Ukraine] more than they ever got if we have to.' I will have that deal done in one day."
RT pointed out that Trump's stance on Ukraine is fundamentally different from incumbent U.S. President Joe Biden. The current chief executive, a Democrat, has vowed to bankroll Kyiv's military "for as long as it takes" to defeat Russia on the battlefield.
Republican candidates in the 2024 elections are espousing some sort of continued military aid to Ukraine, with Trump and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy going against the grain. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who supports bankrolling Ukraine, denounced his erstwhile boss on Sept. 17. He accused Trump of "embracing the politics of appeasement" and "letting Putin have what he wants."
Over at the Democratic Party, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) is the only candidate espousing opposition to "forever war" with Russia. Back in June, he urged diplomacy with Russia instead of "forever war" in a speech in New Hampshire. RFK Jr.'s stance mirrored that of his uncle, the later former President John F. Kennedy, who delivered his Peace Speech 60 years earlier in June 1963. (Related: RFK Jr. calls for DIPLOMACY with Russia instead of "forever war" in speech.)
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Watch this video from "Hannity" on Fox News about former Vice President Mike Pence saying Russia wouldn't have invaded Ukraine under Trump.
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