‘They may be Russian some day’: Trump insults Ukraine as a nation when discussing international turmoil
President Donald Trump has seemingly set his sights on Ukraine’s natural resources in exchange for military aid. He also made a cryptic comment that reads as a threat to Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“They have tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth, in terms of oil and gas,” Trump told his interviewer, Bret Baier from Fox News. The president further complained that the United States was sending billions of dollars in military aid. For this, Trump hints that he wants the United States to get its hands on those resources from Ukraine.
“They might make a deal, or they might not make a deal,” Trump ambiguously said. “They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday.” While this may just be stating possibilities, Trump appeared to be making a pointed threat to Ukraine if they don’t agree to paying with natural resources. Fascinatingly, he doesn’t seem to be approaching this issue from a traditional diplomatic standpoint. Rather, the president is far more interested in the immediate financial gain from another country that is actively fighting territorial encroachment.
Nevertheless, the ability of the United States to provide military assistance to its allies is part of what makes it a valuable partner. Trump simply thinks it’s a waste of money for the United States to aid Ukraine. Additionally, Trump isn’t supportive of Ukraine joining NATO. It’s too soon to say what other nations make of Trump’s actions. Regardless, it’s clear that the president’s foreign policy decisions are rather volatile—if not driven by monetary gain.
The MAGA movement, which supports Trump, doesn’t see the benefit in aiding Ukraine with the war. Some of them assume that the war effort has been nothing more than a “money laundering scheme.” Meanwhile, other social media users were irked by Trump’s comments about Ukraine—a sovereign nation. Several YouTube comments were repulsed by Trump’s remarks. One commenter accused Trump of greed, while others compared him to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, others went beyond and accused Trump of being “Russia’s greatest ally.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence also criticized Trump’s comment at X and explained the necessity to protect Ukraine. It’s a matter of upholding commitments to other NATO members. Pence argued that should Ukraine fall, other NATO-allied states might be next in Russia’s conquest.
President Zelenskyy appeals to Trump on X
Over at X, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine talked greatly about the future of Ukraine’s energy sector. Two more power units at Khmelnytskiyi Nuclear Power Plant will be finished. Zelenskyy claimed that it will make Ukraine independent from importing energy during the winter from neighboring countries. “And even in terms of special economic projects with our partners—with the United States, with President Trump,” Zelenskyy teased the possibility of trading energy with the United States. “Regarding Ukraine’s special resources, extraction, and processing, Ukraine will now be able to speak more confidently as it will now have an additional and significant source of energy in the future.”
Zelenskyy looks as if he’s asking Trump to take a gamble on Ukraine to prove that dollars spent on arms and military aid had been worth it. It may just be a deal Trump is willing to bet on, given his interest in Ukraine’s natural resources.
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