President Trump ratcheted an attack on Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky on Friday, deepening the first real division of his second term within the GOP.
On Fox News Radio's Brian Killmead Show, Trump said of Zelensky: .
That jab came on a string of Trump comments earlier this week, discussing in Saudi Arabia, where representatives from the US and Russia met, if there is no representative from Ukraine.
During the administration of former President Biden, Washington placed great emphasis on the fact that the end of the war caused by the invasion of Russian neighbors came only on terms agreed by the Ukrainian government.
However, in a radio interview on Friday, Trump rejected the need for Zelensky to be involved in the consultation, saying that the Ukrainian president “is extremely important to attend the meeting in order to be honest with you.” He said he didn't think so.
With such words, Trump fanned the fires of the storm that consumed most of the week. He appears to reflect the Kremlin story of war, putting much of the blame on the Ukrainian conflict.
Along the way, Republicans and conservative voices were raised against him in ways not previously seen in the first week of his second term.
However, even if everything happened, there were reports that the administration and its Ukrainian counterparts were on the verge of a deal granting US mineral rights in exchange for Washington's continued aid.
On Tuesday, Trump said about the war, “You never started it.” It was not entirely clear whether Trump is referring to Ukraine in general or Zelensky personally, but Russia currently accounts for about a fifth of Ukraine's territory. It was a very provocative claim considering it was a date of an invader. At least we will return to the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Russia presented invasion as a defensive manipulation to counter the creeping expansionism of NATO. The question is whether Ukraine is not a member of the alliance and whether Eastern European nations could be allowed to become one is highly controversial.
Last week, even before Trump Zelensky's war of words reached the current pitch, Trump said “they haven't seen the way that countries in Russia can make them join NATO. I don't see it happening.”
“I think that's why the war started,” Trump added.
But the issue escalated when Zelensky insisted that Trump “lives in this disinformation space” and that he wanted “more truth” from the US president.
In a furious social media post, Trump has since called Zelensky a “very low in Ukrainian polls” and “an election-free dictator” and “telling US to spend $350 billion.” The Ukrainian leader said, “The Ukrainian leader claimed that “. He admits that half of the money we sent him is “missing.” ”
Zelensky was elected in 2019 and won around 75% of votes on the leak. He postponed the election because the state is under martial law. This is a provision possible under the Ukrainian Constitution.
Zelensky's approval rating in Ukrainian polls is usually in the mid-term range. The US aid to Ukraine is about half of the person Trump quoted. And the Ukrainian president did not say that aid had been delivered and he went missing. He noted the fact that the full scope of aid promised by Washington has not yet arrived.
Trump's Fujirado sparked normally supportive Republicans to express his dissent.
Senate majority leader John Tune (Rs.D.) told Fox News Radio:[Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Russia are invaders of this conflict. That's just a fact. ”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said, “As long as the White House said Ukraine started the war, I disagree.”
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) wrote on social media that he wanted to end the war, like Trump, “it must end on conditions that bring about enduring stability and peace. , which means that Vladimir Putin will not leave with victory.”
The outline of the debate reveals a large fault line that is still obvious in the GOP that Trump has primarily taken over.
When it comes to foreign policy, more traditional Hawkish Republicans still have a considerable shaking, especially in the Senate. In general, their worldview, and Putin's Russian view in particular, are inconsistent with Trump's “America's first” isolationism and what critics consider to be a unique attachment to Russian leaders. Masu.
This gap extends to conservative media that certainly supports Trump on other issues.
Conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin wondered Wednesday why Putin thinks he “murders people who actually challenge him to call a shot.”
Levin also said in his unspoken criticism of Trump, “Ukraine didn't invade Russia. Russia invade Ukraine… what should they do? Roll over and die and play mosquito?”
But as usual, Trump doesn't seem to be in the mood to retreat.
He bets that the American people are tired of the costs of supporting Ukraine, especially if there is no clear end in front of the eyes of the war, except for the negotiated settlement.
American public opinion on conflict is complicated, but it is not necessarily a lost bet.
This week's Economist/YouGov poll found that 30% of Americans support a decline in aid to Ukraine, 21% support a rise, and 29% want to maintain aid at the current level It's there.
But for now, Trump appears to be determined to push for a deal to end the war, whether Zelensky wants or not.
The question is whether his fellow Republicans will swallow their doubts or continue to declare them.
The note is a reported column for Niall Stanage.
