Ex-Adviser: Trump Thought Ukraine Should Be Part of Russia

According to Fiona Hill, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, he expressed the belief that Ukraine “must be part of Russia” during his presidency. Hill, who served as senior director for European and Russian affairs on the U.S. National Security Council under Trump, made these comments in the upcoming book “New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West” by New York Times reporter David Sanger, as reported by The Guardian.

Hill’s revelations come at a time when Trump-aligned Republicans in Congress are blocking additional U.S. aid to Ukraine. Trump’s alleged comments align with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s views, who recently stated that parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia were part of a “new Russia.”

Trump has a history of praising Putin and suggesting that he could end the war in Ukraine quickly if re-elected, even proposing that Ukraine cede some territory to Russia—a suggestion Ukrainian officials have rejected. Trump’s comments have drawn criticism, especially when he indicated he would allow Russia to act as it pleased against NATO members who don’t meet defense spending requirements.

Hill’s role as a key witness in Trump’s first impeachment trial adds weight to her disclosures. She debunked the GOP narrative that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 election and supported allegations that Trump attempted to pressure Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden.

The current debate in Congress over additional aid to Ukraine is significant, with House Speaker Mike Johnson expressing support for an aid package that has yet to be approved due to pressure from right-wing lawmakers.

Public opinion on U.S. support for Ukraine is mixed, with a Gallup poll showing that 36% of Americans believe the U.S. is doing too much to help Ukraine, while 41% say it’s not doing enough. This marks a shift from a previous poll where 41% believed the U.S. was doing too much, and 25% believed it wasn’t doing enough.