Consider This from NPR
The fate of Ukraine hangs in the balance as Trump sides with Russia
Thu, 20 Feb 2025
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump accused Ukraine of starting the war with Russia. Three years ago Russian troops poured over Ukraine's border, and Russian missiles and drones continue to bombard Ukrainian cities.Besides being untrue, the comments echoed a popular Kremlin talking point. And Trump's comments signaled a seismic shift in decades of U.S. foreign policy. Supporters of Ukraine and its allies, both here and abroad, were left shaken.NPR's Joanna Kakissis and Greg Myre discuss Ukraine's future as Russia-U.S. relations thaw. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
How is President Trump aligning with Russia on Ukraine?
Lately, when President Trump talks about Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, he sounds a lot like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
I think I have the power to end this war. And I think it's going very well. But today I heard, oh, we weren't invited. Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.
That was Trump speaking at Mar-a-Lago this week, echoing a popular Kremlin talking point. The false assertion that Ukraine started the war with Russia, a war that saw Russian troops pour over Ukraine's border and Russian missiles and drones bombard Ukrainian cities for three years. Trump was referring to a meeting that happened earlier this week. Top U.S.
and Russian officials gathered in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the war. Not included in the meeting? Anyone from Ukraine. These comments have shaken supporters of Ukraine and its allies, both here and abroad. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded to some of Trump's comments on the Senate floor this week.
Some of his comments sounded straight from a Russian propaganda playbook.
Zelensky responded too. He spoke through an interpreter to a small group of reporters at the presidential palace in Kiev on Wednesday morning, saying that while he respected Trump as a leader, Trump was living in what Zelensky called a circle of Russian disinformation.
I would like to see more truth from the Trump team, because this affects Ukraine and not in a positive way.
The United States has an embarrassing record of naivety, of somehow thinking that they could figure out the Russians and work with them like they were some sort of normal country.
Retired General Ben Hodges was commanding general of U.S. Army Europe from 2014 to 2017. He spoke on NPR's Here and Now.
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