Fox News host Shannon Bream questioned Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, on Sunday regarding reports suggesting that former President Donald Trump might concede to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desires in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Bream raised concerns on Fox News Sunday, stating, “I want to bring this up because there were reports that what [former] President Trump plans to do to end that conflict is potentially push Ukraine to give up Crimea, parts of Donbas.”
She queried Cotton, a close ally of Trump and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, about his stance on this strategy, questioning whether it would amount to rewarding Putin by fulfilling his territorial ambitions. She specifically asked if this approach would simply give Putin what he wanted.
Cotton responded by stating that the Trump campaign has denied any authorization of such plans and emphasized that they are not originating from the former president himself. However, no official comment was provided by Cotton’s office or Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, when contacted by Newsweek for clarification.
Earlier reports, as cited by The Washington Post in April, suggested that if reelected, Trump would pressure Ukraine to permanently cede the occupied Crimean Peninsula and the eastern Donbas region to Russia in exchange for a peace agreement. However, Trump’s campaign adviser Jason Miller dismissed these reports as “fake news.”
The Kremlin, through Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, acknowledged the speculation surrounding Trump’s intentions but stated that no initiatives had been announced by Trump himself. Peskov’s office highlighted the lack of clarity on the matter, noting that it is impossible to make assessments without official announcements.
During a previous podcast appearance, Trump hinted at the possibility of Ukraine ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a deal. He also asserted that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would not have occurred if he were still president.
In response to Bream’s questions, Cotton reiterated Trump’s support for Ukraine’s resilience and survival, citing the strong relationship between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during Trump’s presidency. He emphasized Trump’s role in providing military aid to Ukraine to counter the Russian invasion.
