Biden Slams Trump’s Ukraine Plan in First Interview Since Leaving Office
In his first interview since stepping down, Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump's approach to the war in Ukraine, calling it "modern-day appeasement." The former president criticized the Trump administration’s push for Ukraine to concede territory to Russia, warning that such a move would only embolden Vladimir Putin. “Anybody who thinks he’s going to stop is just foolish,” Biden said, comparing the approach to pre-WWII attempts to placate Nazi Germany.
Biden defended his own record, saying his administration gave Ukraine the tools to defend its independence and would have responded more aggressively if Russia had pushed further. He expressed concern that Trump's strategy could damage U.S. credibility abroad, saying European leaders are beginning to doubt whether America can still be counted on. “Europe is going to lose confidence in the certainty of America and the leadership of America,” he warned.
Biden also condemned Trump’s tone during a February meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling it "beneath America." Trump, for his part, has maintained he wants to stop the bloodshed, suggesting Ukraine should accept current battle lines and give up its claim to Crimea. Biden pushed back firmly: “I just don’t understand how people think that if we allow a dictator, a thug, to decide he’s going to take significant portions of land that aren’t his, that that’s going to satisfy him.”
