A prominent foreign affairs expert has sharply criticized former President Donald Trump’s recent approach to Ukraine, labeling it a “disgrace.” Thomas L. Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and current foreign affairs Opinion columnist for the New York Times, voiced his condemnation of the proposed strategy, suggesting it undermines American values and allies.
Friedman contends that Trump’s ambition to secure a Nobel Peace Prize has led to a significant betrayal of Ukraine. He stated, “Finally, finally, President Trump just might get a peace prize that would secure his place in history. Unfortunately, though, it is not that Nobel peace prize he so covets. It is the ‘Neville Chamberlain Peace Prize’ — awarded by history to the leader of the country that most flagrantly sells out its allies and its values to an aggressive dictator.”
The critic pointed out that the negotiations surrounding Ukraine’s surrender to Vladimir Putin occurred without adequate consultation with Ukrainian officials or European allies. He highlighted the roles of Trump’s aides, including Steve Witkoff, Marco Rubio, and Dan Driscoll, in facilitating this deal. Friedman emphasized that this plan, which reportedly requires Ukraine to accept terms by Thanksgiving, could have dire implications for the holiday itself.
“If Ukraine is, indeed, forced to surrender to the specific terms of this ‘deal’ by then, Thanksgiving will no longer be an American holiday. It will become a Russian holiday,” Friedman warned. He described a future where the day is marked not by gratitude, but as a celebration of Russia’s perceived victory in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
In his critique, Friedman further argued that the deal would not only jeopardize Ukraine but also undermine the security of the entire European Union. He stated, “By rewarding Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine based on his obsession with making it part of Mother Russia, the U.S. will be putting the whole European Union under Putin’s thumb.”
The implications of such a deal would send a troubling message to America’s allies, according to Friedman. He remarked, “Trump’s message to our allies will be clear: Don’t provoke Putin, because as long as I am commander in chief, the United States will pay no price and we will bear no burden in the defense of your freedom.” He introduced a new term to describe the potential fallout from this administration’s actions, suggesting the need for a verb: “Trumped” — meaning to be sold out by an American president for reasons that remain unclear to his citizens.
In closing, Friedman asserted that the historical consequences of these actions would resonate for years to come. “And history will never forget the men who did it — Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, Marco Rubio, Dan Driscoll — for their shame will be everlasting.”
Friedman’s comments underscore the ongoing debate regarding U.S. foreign policy and its implications for global alliances, particularly in relation to the conflict in Ukraine and the aggressive posture of Russia.
