Biden warns against Trump's risky Russia policy shift
- Anyone who thinks Putin will stop if he is given Ukrainian territories is just a fool - assessed former US President Joe Biden, who gave his first interview since leaving the White House in January. In a conversation with BBC, Biden admitted that the actions of his successor, Donald Trump, are deeply concerning. According to Biden, this especially pertains to relationships with Europe.
- What the hell's going on here? What president ever talks like that? That's not who we are - said Biden, referring to Donald Trump's declarations, who has repeatedly suggested that, among others, Canada and Greenland should join the USA. The former president clearly opposed this and emphasized that the United States stands for "freedom, democracy, opportunity, not about confiscation."
BBC noted that the peace plan presented by the Trump administration, which includes Washington recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and effectively acknowledging Russian-occupied territory in eastern Ukraine, is a policy of concessions.
The British public broadcaster reported that Biden drew a parallel between the current US policy toward Russia and the policy pursued by the British government in the 1930s towards Nazi Germany, which - in theory - was intended to prevent the outbreak of war.
Biden fears that as a result of Trump's policy, European leaders will lose trust in the United States. He emphasized that in European capitals, politicians might start asking numerous questions, such as: "Can I rely on the United States" and "Are they going to be there (in case of war)?"
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. I don't quite understand, - confessed Biden, indicating that this concept is incomprehensible to him.
Referring to the argument that took place on February 28 in the Oval Office between President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden assessed that the situation was humiliating for America.
Biden on stepping back from elections: Things moved so quickly
Asked about the correctness of his decision to withdraw from the race for a second term, he replied that it was very difficult. - Things moved so quickly that it made it difficult to walk away. And it was a hard decision - he admitted. When pressed on whether he should have made this decision earlier, he suggested that it likely wouldn't have changed much.
- Our economy was growing. We were moving in a direction where the stock market was way up. We were in a situation where we were expanding our influence around the world in a positive way, increasing trade, - he described the state of the nation when he left the White House.
In summary, when asked to assess the first 100 days of Trump's second term, Biden said that "history will judge that." - I don't see anything that was triumphant - he emphasized.
