Trump team pushes for peace, sidelines Crimea reclaim effort
An adviser to President-Elect Donald Trump stated that the new administration will focus on achieving peace in the war in Ukraine rather than reclaiming territory. "And if President Zelensky comes to the table and says, well we can only have peace if we have Crimea, he shows to us that he's not serious," said Bryan Lanza.
Bryan Lanza, a strategist for the Republican Party, told the BBC that Trump's administration will ask Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to present a "realistic vision for peace".
Ukraine must come to terms with the loss of Crimea
"And if President Zelensky comes to the table and says, well we can only have peace if we have Crimea, he shows to us that he's not serious," stated Lanza.
Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Eight years later, it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and occupied territory in the east of the country.
Trump has already spoken with Zelensky following his election victory - they had a phone conversation on Wednesday, which also included billionaire Elon Musk.
A source in Ukraine's presidential office told the BBC that the "good lengthy conversation" between Zelensky and Trump lasted "about half an hour," BBC reports. "It was not really a conversation to talk about very substantial things, but overall, it was very warm and pleasant," added the correspondent.
Trump wants to quickly end the war
Trump has consistently stated that his priority is to end the war and reduce US spending on the conflict.
His opponents in the Democratic Party have accused him of being too accommodating to Russian President Vladimir Putin. They argue that his approach to the war amounts to a capitulation of Ukraine and poses a threat to all of Europe.
Last month, Zelensky presented a "victory plan" to the Ukrainian parliament, which included a refusal to cede Ukrainian territories and sovereignty.
During the election campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine "in a day," but provided no details on how he intends to do this. A document written in May by two of his former national security advisors suggested that the US should continue to supply arms to Ukraine but condition support on the initiation of peace talks with Russia.
It stated that Ukraine should not give up hope of reclaiming all of its territory from Russian occupation, but should negotiate based on current front lines.
Crimea "is not a goal of the United States"
Lanza did not address the eastern territories of Ukraine but said that Ukraine's regaining of Crimea is unrealistic and "is not the goal of the United States."
"When Zelensky says we will only stop this fighting, there will only be peace once Crimea is returned, we've got news for President Zelensky: Crimea is gone," said Lanza on the BBC World Service Weekend program. "And if that is your priority of getting Crimea back and having American soldiers fight to get Crimea back, you're on your own," added Lanza.
Lanza expressed enormous respect for the Ukrainian people, describing them as having the "heart of lions". However, he noted that the USA's priority is "peace and to stop the killing."
Criticism of Biden and Europe
Lanza also criticized the support that the Biden administration and European countries provided to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
"The reality on the ground is that the European nation states and President Biden did not give Ukraine the ability and the arms to win this war at the very beginning and they failed to lift the restrictions for Ukraine to win," he said.
The United States has been the largest supplier of arms to Ukraine - from February 2022 to the end of June 2024, it has provided or committed to provide arms and equipment worth $77 billion CAD.
