Reuters: Trump team disavows advisor’s stance on Ukraine territorial concessions for peace

Donald Trump’s presidential transition team has disavowed statements made by Republican operative Bryan Lanza regarding potential territorial concessions to end the war under a future Trump administration, according to Reuters.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has consistently stressed that Ukraine will not surrender any of its territory to Russia, a point he reinforced in his recently unveiled “victory plan.” This position reflects Ukraine’s commitment to achieving a just and enduring peace, rather than a short-term ceasefire that might enable Russia to regroup and resume its aggression. While Trump has claimed he could end the war “within a day,” he has not detailed his strategy and has not ruled out the possibility of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia.

“Bryan Lanza was a contractor for the campaign. He does not work for President Trump and does not speak for him,” the unnamed spokesperson told Reuters.

In a BBC interview, Lanza, referenced as a senior Trump adviser, suggested the incoming Trump administration would ask Ukrainian President Zelenskyy for a “realistic vision for peace,” indicating that this means deprioritizing Ukraine’s territorial recovery, including Crimea, to end the war.

Lanza suggested that if Ukraine insists on regaining Crimea, they may have to proceed without US support, saying, “Crimea is gone.” 

Criticizing the Biden administration’s approach, Lanza claimed it failed to provide Ukraine the necessary early support to secure a decisive victory. He underscored that the US focus would be on ending the war, not necessarily restoring Ukraine’s 2014 borders.

Reuters notes that Russian forces currently control approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which was annexed in 2014 following the ousting of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president.

Trump recently held a roughly thirty-minute conversation with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, which a source from the Ukrainian presidential office described to the BBC as a “good, lengthy conversation,” with Elon Musk also on the call.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded favorably to Trump’s approach, noting that Trump’s intention to end the war “deserves attention at least.” Putin pointed to Trump’s previous statements on improving US-Russia relations, suggesting that, for relations to be restored, the US should end sanctions and withdraw its support for Ukraine.

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