The next US administration will focus on achieving peace in Ukraine rather than enabling it to regain Russian-occupied territories. Brian Lanza, senior adviser to the newly elected US President Donald Trump, said this in an interview. British media BBC reported this news in a report on Saturday (November 9).
Bryan said the Trump administration would ask Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his version of a “realistic approach to peace.”
He added, “If President Zelensky comes to the negotiating table and says, we can only be in peace talks if we have Crimea, he will tell us that he is not really interested.”
“Crimea is already out of hand,” Brian said.
Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2015. Eight years later, the country launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine and occupied the eastern part of Kiev.
The president-elect has consistently said his priorities are ending the war and ending the drain on U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
Lanza, a former political adviser to the president, said Trump had not mentioned the territories of eastern Ukraine since the start of his campaign in 2016. But Trump said retaking Crimea from Russia was unrealistic and “not the goal of the United States.”
He said on the BBC World Service's weekend programme, 'When Zelensky says, we will stop this war only when we get Crimea back, there will be peace. We want to say to President Zelensky: Crimea is occupied.'
He added, 'If your priority is to get Crimea back and you want American troops to fight to get Crimea back, then look your way.'
The United States has never deployed American troops to fight in Ukraine. Nor has Kiev requested that American troops be sent to fight on their behalf. Ukraine has requested American military assistance only to arm its troops.
Lanza said he has great respect for the people of Ukraine. But he also said that the US priority was 'peace and stop the killing'.
“What we're going to say to Ukraine is, do you know what you're seeing?” What exactly do you see as a realistic vision for peace? This vision is not for a victory, it is for peace. Let's start the real conversation.'
Trump spoke with Zelensky after winning the election. Billionaire Elon Musk also participated in that phone conversation.
A source in the Ukrainian president's office told the BBC that Zelensky and Trump had a “long conversation” that lasted “about half an hour”.
