Trump's former advisor is convinced: US President wants to "emulate" Putin

Frankfurter Rundschau Trump's former advisor is convinced: US President wants to "emulate" Putin Babett Gumbrecht • 6 hours • 3 minutes read Similar worldview The former national security advisor under Trump provides insights into the Republican's goals. Why they are very similar to the Kremlin's. Washington, D.C. – Since President Donald Trump took office, a different wind has been blowing in Washington: Trump's tariff war is alienating trading partners, his tough migration policy is stoking fear in the country, the state apparatus is being downsized, and press freedom is being massively restricted. Trump's hardline approach is reminiscent of that of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, who also cares little about the world's reactions to his leadership. Former Trump Advisor: US President Wants to Rule Country "Similarly" to Putin Former National Security Advisor under Trump, Fiona Hill, said in an interview with Sky News that Trump wants to emulate Putin and "rule his own country in a similar way." Hill explained that both the US President and the Russian President share the same view of the world: It is "divided between three major powers: Russia, the US, and China, with very clear spheres of influence." Hill served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European and Russian Affairs on the National Security Council staff in 2017 and 2019, during Trump's first term in the White House. She reports that Trump already wanted to meet with Putin at that time to resolve all difficulties in bilateral relations. Trump himself repeatedly emphasized that he had a good relationship with Putin. Trump on Negotiations in the Ukraine War: "I Believe We Have a Deal with Russia" Negotiations are currently underway between Moscow and Washington to end the Ukraine War. Trump said on Wednesday (April 23) that an agreement with Russia had been reached: "I believe we have a deal with Russia," Trump said in Washington. He now has to convince Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which is "more difficult." Shortly before, the US President had accused Zelensky of prolonging the war in Ukraine with inflammatory statements. The Ukrainian President, however, again rejected Trump's line that his country could renounce the Russian-annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea for peace. Trump's rapprochement with Putin, in turn, is further dividing the US's relationship with the EU. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Russia of mocking peace efforts following the recent attack on Kyiv. "This is not a pursuit of peace, but a mockery of it," Kallas said on Thursday on the online service Bluesky. The "real obstacle" on the path to peace is "not Ukraine, but Russia," she added. Russia's war aims have not changed. Rapprochement with Putin and distance from the EU: Trump wants to withdraw from support for Ukraine According to Hill, this is another of Trump's plans coming to fruition: "He wants to withdraw the US from its support for Ukraine, he's been very clear about that," she said. He also wants to withdraw from ensuring European security and get the Europeans not only to support Ukraine, but also to become much more involved and make a much greater contribution to their own security, reports Sky News. If an end to the Ukraine war is achieved, it remains to be seen how relations between Trump and Putin will develop. The US does not have a good relationship with the third major power, China. While China is considered Russia's most important ally, and Putin and Xi Jinping are even considered personal friends, Moscow and Beijing repeatedly emphasize the depth of their bilateral relations. (bg)