Former NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen has cautioned US President-elect Donald Trump against making Ukraine “his Afghanistan” while suggesting Trump’s unpredictability might actually benefit Ukraine, Euronews reports.
In an interview with Euronews, Rasmussen said:
“I have a very clear message to the new President [of] the US, Trump. I would say to him, don’t let Ukraine become your Afghanistan, don’t let Putin defeat you,” he said, urging Trump to be a strong leader.
Rasmussen further emphasized Trump’s winning mentality:
“He does not like to be a loser, he wants to be a winner. And to be a winner you need to have [a] good deal.”
According to Rasmussen, this could translate into increased weapons support for Ukraine and lifting restrictions on weapons use.
“Putin might be negatively surprised by Mr. Trump,” Rasmussen told Euronews.
Regarding peace settlements, Rasmussen advocated strongly for Ukraine’s NATO membership.
“It must be a settlement which will guarantee stability for Ukraine. In my opinion, it will mean to allow Ukraine to become [a] member of NATO and to be covered by Article 5,” he said, referring to NATO’s collective defense principle.
The former NATO chief, who now leads a Global Foundation with offices in Copenhagen, Brussels and Kyiv, called for increasing NATO members’ defense spending from 2% to 3% of GDP, suggesting this Cold War-era level would be more appropriate for current circumstances.
Related:
- Experts urge Trump to ramp up pressure on Putin before any peace talks
- Zelenskyy top aide meets Trump advisers to discuss war settlement with Russia – media
- EU ready to cover $ 50 bn Ukraine loan if US withdraws, says Polish minister
- NATO chief Rutte stresses more weapons for Ukraine, less talk on peace process
- WP: Trump must avoid appeasement trap in Ukraine-Russia peace talks if he wants to end war
- US, Germany “not ready” to invite Ukraine to NATO, alliance source says
- Ukraine won’t accept anything less than NATO membership after failed Budapest Memorandum, Kyiv says
- NATO chief warns Trump: forced Ukraine peace deal could embolden China, Iran, and North Korea