Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) admitted he has a “great fear” that President Donald Trump could “cave” to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“My great fear, Dana, is that Trump will just cave into Putin. That’s been the overall indication all along,” Schumer told CNN’s “State of the Union” host Dana Bash on Sunday.
Schumer’s comments came after Trump criticized Putin Saturday after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump admitted to having new skepticism that a peace deal can be brokered to end the war between the two countries.
Schumer told Bash that if Trump were to “cave to Putin” it could be “bad in three very bad ways.” He went on to claim that it would be a “moral tragedy to undercut Zelenskyy” though he believes Trump is “headed in that direction.”
“No. 1 to just abandon Ukraine after all the sacrifice that they made, after so much loss of life, and with the rallying of the whole West against Putin, it would just be a moral tragedy to undercut Zelenskyy…which I believe Trump is headed in that direction,” Schumer said.
Schumer then said Trump backing out would divide our country’s alliances with Europe after the “whole west has stood up for” the United States.
“It asunders our alliances with Europe. The Europeans have stood up for us, the whole West has stood up for us,” he continued. “They’ve put in money, they’ve used all kinds of diplomatic and economic tools to back us. And how is Europe going to trust us ever again if Trump backs out?”
Schumer wrapped up his cryptic message by saying that the thing that would be “worst of all” is if Trump crumbles against Putin over ceasing the war, adding it will send a “dangerous signal to dictators across the world.”
“But third and maybe most worst of all, it’s a sign that the United States is weak. It sends a signal to every dictator in China, in North Korea, in Iran, that if you stand up and bully Trump, you’re going to get your way,” Schumer said.
Elsewhere in the interview, Schumer told Bash that he’s “very worried about where he is headed” because he thinks that Trump is in a position “where he feels he can sell out Zelenskyy.”
“[Trump] is sort of saying yes one day and no the next day. But overall, the trend is very, very bad,” Schumer added.
In a separate Truth Social post Saturday, Trump urged Ukraine and Russia to meet for “very high level talks,” claiming that they are “very close to a deal” on ending the deadly ongoing war.
“A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off,’” Trump wrote. “Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”
Watch Schumer’s appearance on “State of the Union” below.