President Donald Trump has criticized previous US administrations for their handling of Russia’s expansionist actions and claimed that under his leadership, Russia “got nothing except grief.” In a recent investment announcement, Trump compared his approach to Russia with those of former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, asserting that Russia made significant gains during their presidencies.
Trump contended that under President Bush, Russia gained control of Georgia; under President Obama, Russia secured a large submarine base and significant territory; and under President Biden, Russia attempted to seize the entire Ukraine. “Under President Bush, Russia got Georgia. Under President Obama, they got a nice big submarine base, a nice big chunk of land where they have their submarines. Under President Trump, they got nothing, and under President Biden, they tried to get the whole thing,” Trump remarked. “If I didn’t get in here, they would have got the whole thing.”
Trump emphasized that during his administration, Russia did not gain any territory or strategic advantages, which he said contrasted with the concessions made by previous US leaders. “I gave Russia nothing except grief,” Trump declared, adding, “We have to make a deal because there are a lot of people being killed that shouldn’t be killed.”
Further, Trump suggested that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine could be reached swiftly if all relevant parties, including European nations, were willing to engage in negotiations. He stressed that “it takes two to tango,” and if parties are unwilling to negotiate, they may not remain in power for long. “Maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long,” he said.
Trump also voiced his belief that both Russia and the Ukrainian people want peace, given their suffering in the ongoing conflict. He concluded by commenting on Europe’s spending priorities, saying in a post on Truth Social, “Europe has spent more money buying Russian Oil and Gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine — BY FAR!”