Michael McFaul: I’m Not Sure Trump Wants To Do a Deal To End the War

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
World will hedge their bets and we will be alone.
>> I know that you have been following the actual negotiations to end the war in Ukraine closely. I also understand you spoke with members of president Zelenskyy’s delegation since the Oval Office meeting today. What are they telling you? What is your sense about the best path forward and what options they have now?
>> Well, this was supposed to be a good day. You know, they negotiated very hard. Both sides on this minerals deal. I’m not a big fan of it, but both sides thought it was in their interests. It they thought that getting a direct meeting with the president was what Zelenskyy needed. Because that’s what everybody says. You got to do business with President Trump directly. And so it was their idea to fly to Washington to have this meeting. And they’re just in shock. The whole country is in shock by the whole. By the way, the whole country is rallying to president Zelenskyy’s support, just like the rest of Europe is as well. But they did not expect this. And I got to tell you honestly, this is my opinion, not theirs. But we keep talking about Trump wants to do a deal to end the war. I’m not so sure that’s true. I think he wants to do a deal with Putin. That’s the that’s the real play, as you were just describing. And the Ukraine thing is kind of a sideshow. And if it works out, it works out. If it doesn’t, Trump doesn’t really care because there’s no other way to explain all of the concessions that he has already given to Vladimir Putin even before any negotiation. So that suggests to me that, in fact, he actually is not trying to negotiate a deal. He’s trying to nurture a relationship with Vladimir Putin. And as you said, I hope the American people understand this is wrong. It’s not in our national interest. And I think