Mr. Grenell, how important is it for the USA to stop Putin in Ukraine?
From left to right, we all in America understand that Vladimir Putin is violating human rights. He's a bad guy and we don't like his offensive strategy at all. It is therefore very worrying that Putin is in favor of Joe Biden's re-election and says: I want the predictable candidate. So that things remain as they were years ago, when Biden did the expected thing for Angela Merkel's sake and lifted our sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. That was the beginning of the war.
The invasion is now in its third year. So again: How badly does America want to stop Putin now?
Very urgent. But we don't just need new checks, we need a peace plan.
Is the time ripe for it? Ukraine is hoping for weapons to put Putin on the defensive before negotiations.
The time is always ripe for a peace plan! For two months leading up to the start of the invasion, Joe Biden's message to the world was: We have evidence that Putin is invading Ukraine; All we ever heard was: The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming! Why didn't Secretary Blinken work out a peace plan with the Europeans to stop this? This is outrageous.
At the time, Putin thought he could conquer Kiev within days.
You don't know that, that's speculation.
Richard Grenell in March 2019 in Geneva
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Image: REUTERS
175,000 Russian soldiers on the borders of Ukraine, that's more than speculation?
You didn't get any intelligence briefings, you just read press releases. The people who know what's going on are horrified that we don't have a peace plan. Why then are you asking the American people to come up with more than $150 billion?
So you're not worried that the Ukraine package is stuck in Congress?
Don't put anything in my mouth! As someone who was a diplomat for twelve years, I know that every conflict ends with a peace plan. And I'm not suggesting a weak plan. It's about the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Does Ukraine itself have the final say?
Naturally! It's not about a second Obama-Merkel-Minsk agreement. Everything has to come from Ukraine and Russia. But they don't do it on their own. They have to be forced. Allies on both sides have to do this, there are enough of them. Just look at how much oil India, Turkey, Brazil and China buy from Russia. The Russian economy is therefore doing better than the American one. . .
Donald Trump has said he could resolve the conflict in a day. How come?
Just look at his first term. We always talk about the threat of military force, but that is not enough. If a little kid threatens to beat a big guy, no one will believe it. Under Donald Trump, the threat of military force was credible.
As president, Trump would have to avoid nuclear escalation, just like Biden. Would his reaction really have been completely different?
We wouldn't be in this situation with him. We would not have lifted the Nord Stream sanctions. But Joe Biden and Angela Merkel have shown weakness. Putin started wars in Europe under Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Not under Donald Trump.
Is Trump determined to defend every NATO country as commander in chief?