In the five days since being elected the 47th president of the United States, President-elect Donald Trump has been busy making his rounds, and it’s reported that he has already spoken with 70 world leaders. Among those leaders, he has notably spoken with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Now, he has reportedly also spoken with Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin.
In the call, Trump reportedly reminded Putin of the strength of America. The president-elect’s persona itself doesn’t need words to convey the message that the soft politics game that Biden played is now over:
During the call, which Trump took from his resort in Florida, he advised the Russian president not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of Washington’s sizable military presence in Europe, said a person familiar with the call, who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.
Two conflicts that Trump has vowed never would have happened had he been the president are the conflict in Israel and the conflict in Ukraine. While he doesn’t say it outright, in the interview with Joe Rogan, he alludes to it. He said that he specifically told Putin not to make a move in Ukraine during his presidency. Now, as president again, he is committed to resolving the conflicts with his peace through strength strategy.
Supporters of Ukraine have been concerned about Trump’s plans for peace and if he will force Ukraine to surrender large portions of their land to Russia, which would seem like rewarding them for their crimes. Trump has given the message that he leans towards some sort of a compromise, but he has not been clear on specifics. It is reassuring to supporters that he has been in contact with Pres. Zelensky in the past months, even meeting with him in September in Trump Tower, and after the phone call following the election, Zelensky was “somewhat reassured.”
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Trump has been criticized for his “good relationship” with Putin, but Trump defends this by saying it is wise to have good relationships with powerful people, even enemies. It has to be defined what “good” means. If it means an open line of communication based on respect, we should expect our leaders to be strong enough that any leader in the world will answer the phone when they ring, and come to the table when called. Some would call that “good.”
Trump has said that he can end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours if given the chance. He has also said that he expects other NATO countries to pay their fair share, and that the US should not always be the main financial supporter, especially when the war is closer to them.
The war in Ukraine started in February of 2022. Russia has taken control of just under one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory. Some reports say nearly 500,000 Ukrainians have died in the war, and 300,000 Russians. Russia has recently imported North Korean soldiers, escalating the war to a new level. Ukrainians have fought valiantly and deserve an honorable resolution to this conflict. America is the most powerful country in the world, and a strong leader can help end this war.
Related: North Korea to Send Up to 12,000 Troops to Fight for Russia in Ukraine
