President Biden is scheduled to meet with President-elect Trump on Wednesday, November 13. National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan stated that they will discuss key domestic and foreign policy priorities. Biden is urging Trump not to abandon Ukraine. Sullivan mentioned on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” program that Biden’s main message to Trump is his commitment to ensuring a peaceful transfer of power, and they will also discuss the situations in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Sullivan said, “The President will have the opportunity to explain to President Trump how he views these issues and their positions, and discuss how he plans to address these issues when he takes office.”
Although Sullivan did not specify which topics the two will discuss, their conversation will likely involve the war between Ukraine and Russia. Trump has promised to swiftly end the war but has not provided specifics on his approach.
“President Biden will have the chance in the next 70 days to articulate to Congress and the incoming administration that the U.S. should not abandon Ukraine, as doing so would lead to further instability in Europe,” Sullivan stated.
When asked if this means Biden will request legislation from Congress to authorize more funding for Ukraine, Sullivan did not give a clear answer.
“I am not here to propose specific legislation. President Biden will clarify that we indeed need to continue providing resources for Ukraine after his term ends,” he explained.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Washington has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in military and economic assistance. Trump has criticized this aid multiple times, as have other Republican lawmakers.
Last year, Trump stated that if he were in the White House at that time, Russian President Putin would not have invaded Ukraine. He told Reuters that Ukraine may need to cede territory to reach a peace agreement, a proposition Ukraine has rejected, and Biden has never put forward.
Ukrainian President Zelensky stated last Thursday (November 7) that he was not aware of Trump’s plan to swiftly end the war in Ukraine, but he believes that doing so would require significant concessions from Kyiv.
According to data from the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Congress has earmarked over $174 billion for Ukraine during Biden’s tenure. With Republicans poised to have control of the Senate, it is expected that the speed of U.S. aid to Ukraine will decrease.
Bill Hagerty, a close ally of Trump and a popular choice for Secretary of State from the Republican camp, criticized U.S. financial support for Ukraine during an interview on CBS.
Hagerty said, “The American people want to protect our sovereignty in America before spending funds and resources to protect the sovereignty of other countries.”
The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for two and a half years. Both sides engaged in negotiations during the early stages of the war, attempting to reach a peaceful resolution.
Currently, Moscow’s military controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Russia has stated that the war will only end when the international community recognizes the territories it has annexed. Ukraine, on the other hand, demands the return of all its territories, a position widely supported among U.S. Western allies.
(This article references reporting from Reuters)