Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States elected five days ago, has been making the rounds and has reportedly spoken to 70 world leaders. He has spoken to many world leaders including President Recep Erdogan of Turkey and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from Israel. He has now reportedly spoken to Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin.
According to reports, Trump reminded Putin of America’s strength and power in the phone call. The president-elect’s persona is enough to send the message that Biden’s soft politics are over.
Trump, while on his Florida resort, advised the Russian President not to escalate the conflict in Ukraine, and reminded him about Washington’s large military presence in Europe. This person, as well as others interviewed for the story, spoke anonymously to discuss sensitive issues.
Trump has said that if he had been president, he would never have allowed the conflict to occur in Israel or Ukraine. In the interview with Joe Rogan, he makes an allusion to this, even though he does not say it directly. He stated that he told Putin not to make any moves in Ukraine while he was president. As president, he has a renewed commitment to resolving conflicts using his peace-through-power strategy.
Ukraine supporters are worried about Trump’s peace plans and whether he will force Ukraine to surrender large areas of its land to Russia. This would appear to be rewarding them for their crime. Trump has indicated that he is leaning towards a certain compromise but hasn’t been specific. It’s reassuring for supporters to know that he is in touch with Pres. Zelensky has been in contact with President Trump in recent months. They even met in Trump Tower in September. After the phone call after the election, Zelensky felt “somewhat reassured.”
Trump’s “good relationship” has been criticized, but Trump defends it by saying that having good relationships with powerful individuals, including enemies, is wise. What does “good” mean? If “good” means a line of open communication built on respect, then we should expect that our leaders will be strong enough to answer the phone and attend the table whenever they are called. Some might call that “good.”
Trump said he could end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours if he had the chance. He also stated that other NATO nations should pay their fair share and that the US shouldn’t always be the primary financial support, especially when wars are closer to them.
The war in Ukraine began in February 2022. Russia controls just over one-fifth (or a little less) of Ukraine’s land. Several reports claim that nearly 500,000 Ukrainians and 300,000 Russians died in the conflict. Russia imported North Korean troops recently, which escalated the war. The Ukrainians have fought bravely and deserve a just resolution. America is the strongest country in the entire world. A strong leader could help to end this conflict.
