'Putin only responds to force': Trump advisor Burns warns of total U.S. response if peace talks fail

World powers have gathered to formulate their plan. This involves U.S. President Donald Trump, the Europeans, and the Ukrainians. We have put the pieces of the puzzle together, and we can see the aggressive reaction coming from the Kremlin. Pastor Burns, how do you sense the current situation, and do you believe it will be possible to force Putin back to the peace talks?

Well, unfortunately, the Russians — and more so Vladimir Putin — only seems to react with force. Again, I am encouraged to see that there's new peace talk that is springing up, and I'm encouraged to see that there's another opportunity for all the sides to come together. Bilateral, trilateral talks come together; as your president, President Zelenskyy, said to me: that needs to happen. A trilateral meeting with the United States of America — and the U.S. has been very willing to be a part of these talks — and so it's encouraging to me to see that we're coming back to the table.

However, Vladimir Putin seems to only react or respond to threats and to force. And if these latest peace talks do not work, if there is not a real peace plan that is put into place, then I believe — and my work to the President and to everyone else has been and will continue to be — that we need to arm the Ukrainians with the Tomahawk missiles; that they need to be a deterrent to bring a ceasefire by force. It is my desire.

Pastor Burns, you know President Trump, and you know the people within the Trump administration. How are they reacting to what is currently happening in the negotiation process?

Right now you could tell that there is a grown suspicion of the Russians, that we just do not trust the Russians. It is the belief of President Trump to try to bring peace as fast as possible; but remember, the Russians have rejected every peace plan. The Ukrainians have accepted many, many (if not every) peace plan. So, it is clear to us that the Russians are the agitators; they are the ones that attack the peace. We gave the Russians benefit of the doubt to maybe try to listen to their sides. Those thoughts are being deteriorated; they're being dispersed. And people have lost faith that the Russians will keep their word.

This is why the EU, this is why France, and this is why Europe itself is preparing for a long-term war, God forbid, but a long-term war. And so again, this is why President Trump, when Vladimir Putin recently threatened the United States of America... President Trump is not the one to be messed with. He parked a nuclear submarine in the back door of Russia; we have it there right now.

But of course, you see that Russia is supporting Venezuela, and so it is clear to all of us that Russia is not a friend of the United States of America. Vladimir Putin is not a friend to the United States of America. President Trump has deemed that Venezuela and the drug cartels need to be taken down, but you see that Russia is supporting Venezuela and sending supplies, flying in planes with supplies to Venezuela. For us, that is a clear indication that Russia is not a friend to the United States of America. They will support terrorism; they will support drugs. And this is the new message that is going out around the world, here in the United States of America.

Regarding President Trump’s stance on Ukraine, do you think there is any possibility of him coming to Kyiv to witness firsthand what is going on here, including the crimes committed by Russia? I know you have been visiting Ukraine, and we appreciate it. I would like to ask: is your voice being heard within the President's administration?

I think I'm very heard in the Trump administration. I think that we were not supporting Ukraine as much as we were, until I got back from Ukraine. The evidence is very clear: the Republican Party, the conservative movement, has shifted towards supporting Ukraine.

Where prior to we were not, there weren't any real... there weren't any others, even though there were others that came to visit Ukraine prior to me. It wasn't until I came back we saw a great impact and effect within the conservative movement, within the Republicans, on Ukraine.

Democrats have already been supporting Ukraine, but now this is becoming a bipartisan situation. This is not a Democrat-led issue, and President Trump is leading that way. It's been a challenge because, prior to this, it was just a Democrat issue. And as I've been very clear, I was at one time against supporting Ukraine — until I came and saw for myself.

Absolutely, there's a chance of President Trump coming. I can't speak for him and say that he is coming, but I can tell you that there's many of us, a growing number of us, to make sure that the President be able to come. But he's seen enough; he's heard enough. This is, again, why we do not trust the Russians. Again, why we know that Russia is not in the best interests of the United States of America.

Many of us are believing that Russia intends to take all of Ukraine and to go to Moldova, take the rest of Georgia, then go to the Baltic states; and that will issue NATO Article 5. That's what we're trying to prevent. So, at the end of the day, the Ukrainian people should know: we do not trust the Russians. They are supporting Venezuela. The attack on Venezuela is imminent; it can happen at any time. The President has already made it clear that Venezuela's Maduro — he needs to be removed from office. And the drug cartels that are pushing those drugs into the United States of America, those shipments need to end immediately.

But what is Russia's response to that? Not to support the U.S., not to support President Trump, but to immediately begin to send planes into Venezuela — support planes with ammunition, with missiles — to do everything in their power to support Venezuela and the drug cartels that are entering those drugs into the United States of America. And so, this is for us a clear sign. We do not support the Russians, we do not trust the Russians. We have to put a stop to this.

If these peace plans do not work, if the latest plans that President Trump... again, this is not his war, but he's been doing everything in his power to bring an end to it, to bring a ceasefire with real securities for Ukraine, with real support and securities that we promised Ukraine when they gave up their nuclear missiles back in the 1990s — so we have to keep our words to do the moral right thing, and that is to support the innocent people and the sovereign nation of Ukraine. That is God's will.

Pastor Burns, we are witnessing how some global structures are trembling and crumbling. We have grown accustomed to living in a globalized world, but now we see that world changing. You were right to mention the new threats. The key question here is whether Donald Trump will have the strength, the courage, and the willingness to act. Because sometimes, there is a literal feeling that we are standing on the threshold of the Apocalypse. Action is needed. However, we have seen the updated National Security Strategy of the United States, and both in Europe and here in Ukraine, we were shocked. What exactly does this new concept of global security represent?

It is clear to me that the United States has been walking intentionally as a mouse when, in reality, we are an elephant. And that is done strategically because President Trump is a president of peace. But let us not be fooled; because the President, with the backing of the U.S. Congress, can unleash the most powerful military force that exists in the entire world, and that is the powerful military of the United States of America. And the President knows that the conflicts that are springing up all over the world can be crushed immediately, if that's the will of the U.S. Congress and the will of President Donald Trump. The reality is the President has been trying to use peace diplomacy, negotiations, without trying to shed more blood.

But we are seeing, as you mentioned, in Cambodia and Thailand: Thailand is now bombing Cambodia. We know that M23, that's backed by Rwanda, is still attacking and taking more territory in the DRC. We see that there is conflict that's happening with China and Taiwan. We just unleashed a multi-billion dollar weapon arms deal for Taiwan to equip them with the military forces that they need, the weaponry that they need, in lieu of a Chinese attack or attempted takeover. So, we're seeing that Pakistan and India are still not at the correct peace plan that they should; there’s still untrustworthiness.

So, we're seeing violence springing up all over Gaza and Israel; it is still not completely solid. There are people that are still dying in Gaza. And so, we're seeing a spring-up of wars and conflicts happening all over the world.

The President has been trying to use the right way, which is diplomacy, to bring an end to these conflicts with peace. But please don't be shocked, or please don't be confused to think that, at any time, President Donald Trump is not the president to be messed with. He is not a warmonger president; I am not a warmonger pastor. But in the end, the Bible says that 'the kingdom suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.'

If there is not peace, if these instigators of war do not come to the table, then the United States of America will be forced — and it be at their hands — to unleash the full might of the United States military. That's what we're trying to prevent, because more lives will die if that happens.

But in the end, the Ukrainian people must know — and the soldiers who I talk to on a regular basis on the front lines of Ukraine right now, in those bunkers, that I talk to almost on a daily basis — that they know that in the end, if this is not a peace plan, if they won't come to the table, if Russia would not stop killing and bombing innocent people and attacking Ukraine, then the United States of America, along with our partners in Europe, will be forced to unleash the full might of our military. And that's what we're trying to prevent.

But in the end, Vladimir Putin got to stop the killing. He had to stop the attacks. This is no more time for words. This is time for more action. And that's my word to the United States, to President Trump, to everyone that will listen, Secretary Rubio — of course, they all know my feelings, along with other leaders like Senator Lindsey Graham and Representative Joe Wilson and others that are in the U.S. Congress that are Republicans like us, that are supporting the Ukraine initiative.

But what if Putin says “no” and continues to escalate the war? Pastor Burns, I have the utmost respect for your words and your assessment of the situation. You believe in God, and I believe in God, but it feels as though Putin is under the power of demons and evil spirits. He seems intent on ramping up the escalation. Accordingly, what will the response be if Putin tears up these proposals?

Well, first of all, many of us are of the opinion, and we believe, based off of the evidence that we have, that Vladimir Putin worships the occult; that he is not a Christian. He talks like a Christian, or at least he tries to show honor as a Christian, but he is heavily controlled by a shaman. He's heavily controlled by witchcraft, and he has a shaman — who is a witchcraft — who is very, very close to him.

It reminds me of the former Tsar of Russia and Rasputin, who was very close to the Russian family. And so he has, Vladimir Putin has his own version of Rasputin that's very close to him: this shaman, this mysterious man that is very close to Vladimir Putin. And so, we see that as not something that the Lord Jesus would be honoring. Those of us who believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, those of us who call ourselves Christians or people of faith — Vladimir Putin is not that. We have to pray more against that demonic activity. We have to call on the name of Jesus against that demonic activity; and for all of the Orthodox Christians that are in Europe and in Ukraine to continue to call on the name of God, to continue to call on the name of Yeshua.

Now, what happens if he continues to fight? As I've stated already — and I'm going to continue to echo the same message from many members of the U.S. Congress, those that are Democrats and those that are Republicans, who are not warmongers, but they want to do what is right because right is right, wrong is wrong — and Russia, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, attacked the sovereign nation of Ukraine, and they have killed and committed war crimes against the innocent people of Ukraine.

Soldiers who have given up, and yet they're still shooting them in the back of the head. We have many camera footage of Ukrainian soldiers giving up and declaring the white flag of surrender, and yet they are still being executed. This is against the Geneva Convention's rules of war, of combat; these are war crimes caught on camera. If they do not stop, if Vladimir Putin says no, we must give the Ukrainian people the Tomahawk missiles that they need. We need to give the Ukrainian people the MQ-9 Predator drones — the long-range, massive drones that can go into deep territory into Russia — and put a stop by doing pressure, more pressure. Arm Ukraine with the grenades, with the M16s, with the tanks, with the more anti-missiles that President Trump has already given the Ukrainian armed forces, putting a stop to the armor of Russia; because President Trump, unlike Biden, gave Ukraine weapons to defeat the armors and the tanks of the Russian military. 

We will have to beef up that support. Europe has to beef up their support. NATO has to beef up their support. And with the United States of America, with our European partners, we have to draw a line in the sand in Ukraine and refuse to allow Russia to take any more territory and push them out completely. That's what's going to have to happen. Unfortunately, that's what we're trying to prevent. But in the end, this is almost like the beginning of World War I, that with the assassination of Prince Ferdinand, that in Bosnia and in the small country of Bosnia, launched a massive, massive war that the whole world was devastated by.

And we're trying to prevent that from happening. And that's what's happening in Ukraine right now. In the end, if Russia doesn't stop, this is going to trigger a larger war and Europe and the rest of the world will be a part of it. People right now are drawing lines in the sand and in the end the United States of America will be supporting Ukraine.

Right, but we understand that there are many different power centers in the world. And perhaps someone might want to sell Ukraine out, or someone might want to betray Ukraine. History has seen such stories before. At one time, Poland was betrayed when Stalin and Hitler attacked and tore it apart. That is just one example. And so, there is this fear that someone might want to sell us out. How do you see the likelihood of such a scenario?

I don't think that's the case this time. I do understand the fear, and I understand the history behind that: when Germany — Nazi Germany — attacked Poland along with the help of Stalin, and again, Europe did nothing about it. That's the alarm that I've been echoing throughout the world on every television interview, in front of every U.S. Congressman, in front of the President, in front of everybody that will listen: that what's happening to Ukraine is Germany 1933, when Hitler come to power. And this is where he attacked Poland and Europe did nothing about it, the West did nothing about it, and he tested the waters to see what he can get away with.

We are making a loud declaration to the Hitlers of the world. And yes, Vladimir Putin is the modern-day Hitler of the world. And he is pretending to protect Christians, he is pretending to protect Jews, but yet he is bombing Jewish synagogues. Rabbi Azman — who is the rabbi of Ukraine, my dear friend — synagogue was hit by one of those drones. Damage was done to the synagogue. Thank God no one was killed. This happened about a month and a half ago in Kyiv.

And so, he's trying to proclaim that he's a protector of Jews, a protector of Christians when he is not. When countless amount of Christians and Jewish and Muslims are being killed at the hands of the Russian Empire; 700-plus places of faith have been destroyed at the hands of the Russians. 20,000-plus children have been kidnapped from Ukraine at the hands of the Russians to reprogram their minds, to have them to hate and fight their own people. This is evil, and it's from the gates of hell.

I do not believe that's going to happen because Europe is getting stronger. The EU has declared: we have to beef up our security in preparation for war. France, right now, is holding a “join the armed forces” voluntary sign-up to beef up France's military because of the threat of Russia. The Baltic states are beefing up their security. So, we all are seeing this happen. It's being played out right before our eyes that there's too much support in Europe to leave Ukraine by themselves, to leave Ukraine to be destroyed by Russia. Again, if Russia takes Ukraine, he's going to take Moldova, Georgia, the rest of the Baltic states. That's not going to happen under the watch of President Donald Trump; he is not the President to be messed with.

And I know some of my Ukrainian brothers and sisters who may watch this think, “Oh no, President Trump has sold Ukraine out and he is trying to give it to Russia.” That is not the case. I'm telling you that personally: that is not the case at all. The President is trying to do everything in his power to bring peace amongst both sides. This was a war that would have never started had he been president in 2020; and they stole the election from us, and now we're trying to clean up Joe Biden and the Democrats’ mess for showing a weak United States of America. Now, President Trump is doing his job to try to bring peace to both sides. But again, he told Vladimir Putin, “I am not to be messed with. The United States of America is not to be messed with.” And the fact that Vladimir Putin tried to threaten America — that’s why President Trump parked a nuclear, high-class submarine in their backyard. And Russia and China cannot match the technology of the United States military nuclear submarine class. President Trump is not to be played with. Vladimir Putin is playing with fire, because millions of people in Russia will die. And that's what we're trying to prevent: millions of people who have nothing to do with this war will die because of Vladimir Putin.

My prayer is that the people of Russia will stop being brainwashed and rise up and realize that their leader has been a dictator for many years. Ukraine has had elections.

I spoke to your ambassador here in the United States of America, and she says that Ukrainians love — “We love elections. We love elections. We do elections for sport. We vote for everything all the time.” And so it's not a question of elections for Ukraine; but in Russia, they have the same dictator that's been in power for 20, 25-plus years. And that's not democracy, that's dictatorship. And that's why we need to preserve Ukraine. That's why we need to preserve democracy and the democratic nation, sovereign nation of Ukraine, not support the dictatorship of Russia.

Thank you, Pastor Burns. We have literally one minute left, and I would like to ask you to share a Christmas greeting with my Ukrainian brothers and sisters.

To all my brothers and sisters in Ukraine: have hope. Have hope. Keep fighting. You are stronger than you ever were; the sovereign nation of Ukraine is stronger than ever.

And I pray that everyone that is watching this — whether you're on the front lines, or whether you're in Kyiv, or Odesa, or wherever you are in Ukraine — you have a merry, merry Christmas in the name of Jesus Christ. And know that we are behind you. You're not alone. There are many of us that are crying out real loud, “Slava Ukraini!” God bless you. Merry Christmas.