Trump on Russia-Ukraine War: 'It's Gotta Stop'
The Facts
Addressing the nearly three-year-old Russia-Ukraine war in his first major speech since winning the election on Nov. 5, Pres.-elect Donald Trump told an audience in Palm Beach, Florida, that "It's gotta stop."
The black-tie gala at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday evening, held alongside the America First Policy Institute, included lighter moments — including a quip about the recurring presence of Elon Musk. "You know, he likes this place. I can't get him out of here," Trump said.
The Spin
In the election campaign, Trump constantly bragged that he would resolve the Russia-Ukraine on the first day of his presidency. When he assumes power on Jan. 20, while he's packing his prospective cabinet with MAGA loyalists and surrounding himself with radicals who parrot Russian talking points, he'll support a bad-deal for Ukraine, one that includes Ukraine ceding its territory and rewarding Putin's aggression.
Despite all the hyperbole about how bad Trump would be for Ukraine, if he does somehow manage to pull off a peace deal — which he'll not get the credit for — he will have settled a draining, nearly three-year conflict which has no shortages in the amount of soldiers and civilians killed for both sides. It may not be best deal for Ukraine, but its the reality it has to accept after being lied to by Democrats with slogans like "as long as it takes."
