Trump Reiterates Call for Peaceful Resolution to Ukraine War

Trump Reiterates Call for Peaceful Resolution to Ukraine War
Former President Donald Trump addresses the crowd during a 2024 election campaign event in Columbia, S.C., on Jan. 28, 2023. (Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images)
Samantha Flom
1/30/2023
Updated:
1/30/2023
0:00

Former President Donald Trump is calling for a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine just days after his successor announced that the United States will send dozens of battle tanks to aid the European nation in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Speaking at a Jan. 28 campaign rally at South Carolina’s state Capitol building in Columbia, Trump criticized President Joe Biden for his handling of the crisis, noting: “Through weakness and incompetence, Joe Biden has brought us to the brink of World War III. … As president, I will bring back peace through strength.”

Stressing that the war would not have happened if he had remained in office, the former president added, “Even now, despite tremendous loss of lives and destruction of much of that country, I would have a peace deal negotiated within 24 hours.”

Trump’s Saturday remarks echoed comments he made last week on his Truth Social account, where he described the Ukraine war as a “tragic waste of human life” and warned that further escalation of the conflict could have disastrous consequences.
“FIRST COME THE TANKS, THEN COME THE NUKES,” he cautioned on Jan. 26. “Get this crazy war ended, NOW. So easy to do!”
A day prior, Biden had confirmed that he intended to send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, marking a reversal in policy.

Previously, officials had said M1 Abrams tanks were too complicated to operate and difficult to maintain. After Ukrainian pleas for assistance, however, the administration changed its position.

“The United States and Europe are fully united,” Biden said, contending that the tanks did not pose an “offensive threat” to Russia.

Europe Responds

Biden’s announcement came amid similar pledges from other Western nations, including Germany, which agreed to send 14 Leopard 2A6 battle tanks, and the UK, which will provide four Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to those pledges on Jan. 26, telling Sky News that he was “very happy” to have the countries’ support.

“Overall, I am very thankful to the world for the support of Ukraine,” he added. “But speaking frankly, the number of tanks and the delivery time to Ukraine is critical.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, called the move a “disastrous plan,” holding: “These tanks will burn down just like all the other ones. … Except they cost a lot, and this will fall on the shoulders of European taxpayers.”

The day after Biden’s announcement, Russia responded on the battlefield by firing missiles at Kyiv, killing at least one person and wounding two others.

The tanks, the Kremlin said, were evidence of the United States’ growing “direct involvement” in the conflict.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has again ramped up his requests for aid by asking allies to send long-range missiles.

The Epoch Times has contacted the White House for comment.