Alexander Vindman
Appearances
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
Dad. I'm sitting here today in the US Capitol talking to our elected professionals, talking to our elected professionals is proof that you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family. Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
Thank you for having me back.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
I don't think so. Not under the approach that the Trump administration is taking. It's an approach that looks to appease Russia in the tradition of 30 plus years of Russia first policy. And it's one where, frankly, Russia is not going to be satisfied with the level of appeasement that the Trump administration is offering because the Ukrainians are not willing to capitulate.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
The prospects look dimmer now than they did before Trump took office.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
I've always been focused on U.S. national security. If you paid attention to any of my testimony back then or any of the commentary, it's not been about Ukraine. It's not really even been about Trump. I have no warm feelings towards him because he's a danger, in my view, to the U.S. But it's more about the professionalism that I've tried to uphold as a career military officer, as a
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
Sure. We should be clear that it wasn't just getting Ukraine wrong. It was getting Russia wrong consistently. With regards to what we could have done to support Ukraine, there were a couple of moments that stand out. I think in the Orange Revolution in 2004, we did very, very kid-glove condemnations of Russia against We should have worn them off and invested in Ukraine, and we didn't do that.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
There was another turning point in 2014 when it was clear that the Russians were graduating from hybrid warfare to outright military aggression. We could have not— Exactly right. We could have not done what we did, which was look to reset, but we could have avoided doing a reset and instead have been quite conditional in our relationship with Russia.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
Condemnatory where we needed to be, imposing sanctions, helping arm Ukraine so it looks like a harder target. That was another critical turning point.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
What we should be doing is understanding that we could focus on long-term objectives. We could be focusing on making sure we have strong alliances with NATO, that our support for that collective defense treaty is ironclad. We should be investing in places like Ukraine or Taiwan, other places around the world that look like they could be the targets for the aggression of our adversaries.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
I would say that that's not the case. I think the fact is that the Biden administration also fell afoul of hopes and fears. It just did it in a more kind of traditional vein, the same way that preceding administrations from George H.W. Bush through Clinton, through George Bush, President Obama, all committed the same kind of Russia first mistakes.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
Now it looks like it's there's a bit of a stark contrast because Trump has taken such an extreme approach to realism that it looks like the Biden administration did more than they actually did. The fact is that they also were a day late and a dollar short consistently in providing support to Ukraine.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
That's an essential nature of bringing the war to a close. The problem, to a certain extent, is that both sides are relatively imbalanced. The Russians are making tiny incremental gains but suffering enormous losses. They could weather some of those losses because they have a larger population, they have a larger economy, but they can't do that forever. And the Ukrainians are feisty and fiery.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
They've historically had higher morale, performed better on the battlefield, but they have limited human resources. And you're not going to find much of a compromise when both sides feel like they're on the cusp of winning or holding out or breaking the other side.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
I think it's a useful thing to have some conversations if those conversations are going to yield results. In this case, what needs to happen was we need to travel the road of folly for a little bit longer where the Trump administration is going to attempt to – bring this war to a close, but eventually recognize that there is really no compromising with Putin.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
And then the question is going to be, do we want Russia to be the winner, or do we want the US to be the winner? Does Trump want Putin to be the winner, or does he want to be the winner himself? If he sees no prospect for Russia to compromise, the Russians are going to try to string along these negotiations. They're going to try to play at the fact that they're willing to end the war.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
But when they don't deliver, that's when there's an opportunity to rebalance and recognize that the support needs to go behind NATO, needs to go behind Ukraine, if we want to bring this war to close.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
You're not going to find much of a compromise when both sides feel like they're on the cusp of winning or holding out or breaking the other side.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
And that devolves further into accusations that Ukraine's ungrateful. It was just something that we haven't seen. Not just undiplomatic, but a betrayal of Ukraine and our Western values and the way we interact with the world. It's 180 degrees different than it has been with any administration preceding.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
It's been a constant parade. Those guys in Beijing and Kremlin have to be constantly drunk because they're endlessly popping bottles of champagne at the wins that they score, really without having to lift that much of a finger. I mean, all Putin had to do thus far is to say that he's interested in peace. He hasn't shown that he's interested in peace.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
What do you make of it? It was a shit show. We've never seen anything quite like it. Basically, the U.S. has been a supporter of Ukraine for, even if it's been insufficiently supportive, it's been a supporter of Ukraine for three years, spending somewhere in the ballpark of $60 to $100 billion to help Ukraine ward off an aggressor, Russia.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
He hasn't started to ease the war, which he could do by just issuing an order. He's the aggressor. And instead, what we have is Trump constantly catering to Russia, signaling that he's willing to normalize relationships, that Russia has been treated too harshly And this is just really unacceptable for somebody like Zelensky, whose country has suffered enormous losses and has enormous suffering.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
And the Europeans also understand the truth of the matter and are redoubling their support, are interested in pitching in more to help Ukraine. Ukraine is in their backyard. They know that Russia is eyeing the West and eyeing some additional territories. So Lindsey Graham is an absolute coward. because Trump did not sound strong. He was attacking a ally when he didn't need to.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
This was just Zelensky saying that Trump can't trust Putin. That's all he was saying. That was the argument. That's how the argument got started. And J.D. Vance, I mean, he looked like an absolute clown. I don't understand why Trump allowed Vance to blow up his deal. I mean, the deal was there. The initial part of the press conference, was totally fine.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
They both had their comments, you know, a series of questions unfolded. And then when it came around to whether Putin could be trusted, Zelensky said, no, they've constantly broken the deal. And Vance took that as the opportunity to side again with Putin and criticize Zelensky. And he blew up Trump's deal. I mean, that's that is how this whole thing started to devolve.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
And then at that point, you know, it was very emotional. Zelensky trying to point out that his country is suffering through a war, that they were not an aggressor. And it was the most shameful interaction that the U.S. has had on the public stage with regards to foreign policy. you know, in decades. I can't think of another example in which we behaved like this, behaved as such a poor ally.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
And so simply, actually, we behaved like idiots because we can't simply understand the basic truths that Russia is the aggressor. We know that's the fact. We can't accept the basic truth that Putin is untrustworthy. And this has nothing to do with deal-making. If we wanted to make a deal to end the war...
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
We would recognize that it's the Russians that need to compromise, not the Ukrainians, that the Russians are the ones that are feeling quite a bit of pain. Yes, the Ukrainians are also, but they can't go on forever. Kremlin can't sustain these kinds of losses. And all we need to do is continue to support Ukraine for a bit longer.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
Instead, we're shifting stances, being a friend to our enemies and an enemy to our friends.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
I think, you know, I guess even before we get there, I'll just point out that, you know, this book was undertaken after I was forced out of my military service after 22 years. I forced out of the White House after reporting Donald Trump's corruption and the scheming way back in 2019 testifying. And then I wanted to understand why we keep making the same mistakes over and over.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
And the subtitle of this book really says it all. It's how the U.S. continues to deceive itself about Russia and betrays Ukraine. I wish I'd used the present tense and not past tense. I said deceived and betrayed. It's deceived and betrays. It continues to do that to this day. And it's to our own detriment. It is.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
Not the fact that, you know, we are helping Ukraine to be, you know, just to be a good actor. It's because we understand the importance of Ukraine holding back the Russians from further aggression, helping to stabilize Europe. And my own experience, I mean, I left the Soviet Union as a refugee at the age of four. So my own experience has been entirely as an American serving in the U.S. military.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
And now we have a new Trump administration that invites Zelensky into kind of work out a deal, figure out how the U.S. might continue to support. And in this discussion where Zelensky is saying, hey, this is what the Russians are doing to our troops. They just kidnapped 20,000 of our kids and are brainwashing them. Trump and Vance.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
serving in embassies in Moscow, in Kiev, in the Pentagon, where I wrote the Russia strategy, how we contend with Russia as an adversary, where I was invited to the White House to be able to continue to do the work of advancing the U.S. national security interests. It is about the U.S.,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
And it's shocking that we are now at this poison Kool-Aid stage of our relationship with Russia, appeasing them, accommodating them, always getting burned in the process instead of learning the lessons of the past and doing better, where we are far off from what I recommend, which is U.S. moral leadership and the centrality of values to interests.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
It has a positive, I mean, I really lay out a positive case where It's going to take us to survive Trump. But on the back end, when we start to correct for all the damage that was done, that we recapture moral leadership by saying that we shouldn't be focusing on the bright, shiny object that Trump is falling for right now with Putin saying, hey, I might be interested in peace.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
There might be some other deals we could work and never paying off when we should be focusing on the things that matter, like European security, because it's there for us when we are attacked. Europeans, because they're our largest training partner and they enable our prosperity. So to me, it's about the U.S. and how the U.S. could be safer. And we just made it a lot more dangerous for the U.S.,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
We are burning bridges as fast as we can find them. You know, the issue here is that I think what ultimately offended Trump is he has a slogan of make America great, make America strong. And Zelensky is pointing out by siding with Russia that actually the U.S. is in danger. Completely 100% valid point.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
But it burst the bubble of Trump being the strong man and Trump making us more safe and more prosperous. That was an absolutely honest assessment from Zelensky. He knows what he's talking about. And I think the fact is that other allies now look at what happened with the U.S. going so hard in for Putin and abandoning our allies that we are completely unreliable. I hope I'm wrong.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
I unfortunately tend to be right about these things. And it makes me sick that I see this train wreck unfolding. But I think we're burning bridges and we're creating opportunities for our enemies. And it is putting our troops in danger. It is making this country weaker. And we have to, at this point, we just have to weather the storm and come back.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
try to institute some accountability, you know, with our elections in the future and try to rein in these knuckleheads and get rid of, you know, folks like Lindsey Graham and all these yes men that embolden and, you know, pander to Trump and drive them to make the worst decisions that I've seen thus far, frankly.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
attack Zelensky and say that he's not motivated to conduct peace and that Russia is not such a bad guy. In this meeting, Trump basically sides with Russia and attacks Ukraine. And Zelensky, in a very valiant way, stands his ground and tries to make the point that Russia can't be trusted. Russia is the bad actor. The U.S. is in danger by buying in, by constantly deceiving itself about Russia.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
I may have already passed this to some folks, but the bottom line is that this was highly cinematic. Zelensky looked very strong. You know, Trump could spin it as if as he stood his ground. Also, I think what this really there's an opportunity here. You know, he they're on the cusp of a big deal, a big real estate deal. Both parties kind of walk away from the negotiation.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
There's an opportunity to bring folks together and do a handshake at the end of this thing that looks really good for TV. And if it means that Ukraine could keep the U.S. on side a little bit longer, I mean, it might be just a little bit longer because the fact is that you could see the orientation of Trump consistently.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
If they could keep him on a little bit longer, give the Ukrainians additional support and the Europeans step up, that is a pragmatic step. I'm not going to stand in the way of pragmatism. But if we could, again, keep the U.S. from siding with Putin, easing sanctions, there might be some sort of play here. This deal, this minerals deal, was not a bad thing.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
If Vance just kept his mouth shut, things would have went on fine. There would have been a signed deal at the end. Now there's an opportunity to win. Both sides walk away looking pretty strong, maybe get what they want. But Zelensky is not one to bend the knee and fold like Lindsey Graham constantly does.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
Goes there, meets... I mean, he's been there recently, actually, to Ukraine and met with Zelensky at Munich Security Conference and things of that nature. So he says one thing to Zelensky, and then he goes back around and just... I don't know. I don't want to be crude, but he does some pretty disgusting things to ingratiate himself with with Trump.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Alexander Vindman on Trump Ukraine Disaster
Thank you. Looking forward to the next time and appreciate the opportunity to communicate with your viewers and listeners. Your audience can make the difference.