Trump ally says Biden is ‘sabotaging peace in Ukraine’ admitting president-elect likely to reverse missile agreement
18 November 2024, 18:44 | Updated: 18 November 2024, 19:31
Potential Trump staffer says it’s ‘likely’ President-elect will reverse long-range missiles decision
An ally of Donald Trump has told LBC that Joe Biden is “sabotaging” efforts to bring peace to Ukraine by allowing Kyiv to use long-range missiles against Russia.
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Fred Fleitz, Trump’s former chief of staff in the National Security Council, told LBC’s Tonight with Andrew Marr that the president-elect would probably reverse Mr Biden’s decision when he takes office in January.
Mr Biden made the decision to allow Ukraine to use US missiles on Russian territory after months of pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, sparking an angry response from Moscow.
Mr Trump has said he will look to end the war in Ukraine. The US is Kyiv’s primary backer in the war, which reaches its 1,000th day on Tuesday.
Mr Fleitz said of Mr Biden, who has less than two months left in the White House: “I think he’s trying to sabotage the peace effort.
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Mr Fleitz, who is widely tipped for an important role in Mr Trump’s new administration, added: “He would like to continue his policy of arming Ukraine for as long as it takes, and that means arming Ukraine until every Russian soldier leaves Ukraine and Putin has put up a war crime or put up for a war crimes trial.
“And you and I may agree that that would be the best outcome, but it is not a realistic outcome.”
Asked if Mr Trump would go back on the agreement, Mr Fleitz said he couldn’t say for certain but that “that sounds like a pretty likely scenario.”
He added: “I think Trump is right now putting pressure on both nations to agree to a cease fire and to cease hostilities, because, in Trump’s mind, the priority is to stop the killing and to begin a negotiated process to end this conflict.
“Because this conflict has become a war of attrition [and] Ukraine will lose.”
James O’Brien and caller on what Biden’s long-range missile ban lift would mean for Trump/ Ukraine
The Kremlin has accused the US of seeking to escalate the conflict in Ukraine with several Russian politicians warning that it will lead to World War Three.
Russian politician Maria Butina, who is one of Putin’s allies, said: “These guys, Biden’s administration, [are] trying to escalate the situation to the maximum while they still have power and are still in office.
“I have a great hope that [Donald] Trump will overcome this decision if this has been made because they are seriously risking the start of World War Three which is not in anybody’s interest.”
A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson added in a statement: “Kyiv’s use of long-range missiles to attack our territory would represent the direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia, as well as a radical change in the essence and nature of the conflict.
“Russia’s response in such a case will be appropriate and tangible”.
Is Biden’s decision to lift the ban on the use of US long-range missiles’ in Ukraine ‘too little to late’?
Kim Darroch, the former UK ambassador to the US, told Andrew that the Kremlin would likely have anticipated the move by Mr Biden and moved valuable equipment out of the way.
He played down the idea of a strong response by Russia, despite the Kremlin’s harsh rhetoric.
