- Donald Trump appeared to criticize the decision of the United States and Germany to supply tanks to Ukraine.
- “FIRST COME THE TANKS, THEN COME THE NUKES,” Trump said on his social media platform.
- Trump also suggested ending the war in Ukraine would be “easy,” without giving further details.
Former President Donald Trump, whose first impeachment was linked to his dealings with Ukraine, appeared to criticize the United States and Germany on Thursday for their recent decisions to supply battle tanks to Kyiv at a time when the Russia is expected to launch another major offensive. Trump suggested that offering tanks to Ukraine would lead to the use of nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Trump said it would be “easy” to end the war, without offering any suggestions on how that would be accomplished.
“FIRST COME THE TANKS, THEN COME THE NUKES. End this crazy war, NOW. So easy to do,” Trump, who is running for president again in 2024, said in a post on his platform. social media Truth Social.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Trump called a “genius” the week Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, repeatedly made nuclear threats throughout the war. Western countries have accused Putin of reckless nuclear slashing. Nuclear experts have expressed grave concern over Putin’s threats, as prominent historians warn that the Russian leader’s rhetoric and actions presented even greater nuclear dangers than during the Cuban Missile Crisis at the height of the Cold War.
But many top Russian military analysts and experts also say Putin’s nuclear threats are largely designed to deter the West from continuing to provide Ukraine with crucial security assistance. The United States and other NATO nations have sent billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, including life-saving weapons that have played key roles on the battlefield and wreaked havoc on Russian forces. Ukraine has recently been pushing for the West to provide tanks as it seeks to defend against the ongoing Russian invasion, but also prepares to regain control of occupied territory.
Trump, who has regularly praised Putin, has always been critical of US aid to Ukraine. The former president’s first impeachment was linked to his efforts to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, over unfounded corruption allegations. At the time, Biden was a presidential candidate and Trump’s main political rival.
While pressuring Zelenskyy to launch the investigations, Trump simultaneously froze Congress-approved military aid to Ukraine as it continued to wage war against Kremlin-backed rebels in the region. eastern region of Donbass. Much of the fighting in the war launched by Putin in late February 2022 has been fought in Donbass, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions – two of four Ukrainian territories the Russian leader illegally annexed in September.
Although Trump has suggested that it would be “easy” to end the war in Ukraine, that is not a view widely shared by experts or those with experience in diplomacy. Putin’s decision to illegally annex four Ukrainian territories, declaring them part of Russia, has made the possibility of talks to end the fighting extremely unlikely. Russian forces do not fully occupy these areas, and Kyiv has made it clear that it will not accept any peace terms requiring it to cede territory to Moscow.
“The fact that the Russians have annexed four (Ukrainian) provinces makes a deal almost impossible,” Gérard Araud, the former French ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, told Insider this week.
Speaking about Putin’s goal of dividing the West to weaken support for Ukraine, Araud also said that “the Russians have always dreamed of getting Trump back because in military terms, American support is really overwhelming compared to the support of Europeans”.
The United States has provided more security assistance to Ukraine than any other country – more than $27 billion since the Russian invasion. But a number of Republicans in Congress loyal to Trump have expressed opposition to continued aid to Ukraine, citing economic concerns.
