Trump will stay aggressive as long as he sees concessions, just like Putin — diplomat Bryza

Former U.S. Secretary of State advisor and former Director for Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. National Security Council, Matthew Bryza, said this in an interview with Anton Borkovskyi, host of the Studio West program on Espreso TV.

“This has always been a Russian tactic. Human lives do not matter; they are expendable. As the old cliché attributed to Stalin goes, "The death of one person is a tragedy, the death of a million is a statistic." I believe Ukraine’s only path is to say no and reject any agreement that undermines its fundamental security, future prosperity, and the right to a good life. I think it would be wise for Ukraine to do this from the perspective of a strategic victim, a victim of history, a victim of naivety though without explicitly saying that about President Trump, and a nation that is not only legitimate but also proud and strong now suffering from Russian aggression,” he stated.

Rather than engaging in Trump’s rhetorical game of insults Ukraine should take the high road and say, "This is unfair. Of course, we cannot agree to this. It would mortgage our country’s future and stunt our growth. Our children and grandchildren will never have a prosperous life under these terms." Then Ukraine should work with European allies in a dignified manner, says Bryza.

“In a firm but quiet way Ukraine should make it clear that it will not become a colony of Russia. Ukraine must stand by its identity, its allies, and its right to fight for survival and dignity for as long as necessary. But it should do so in a way that upholds the moral and historical high ground,” he added.

And then over time hope that Trump will see his strategy as a failure. As long as he feels the other side is giving in he will continue being aggressive just like Putin. But Trump backs off when he realizes he is losing and will change course, noted the diplomat. 

“Look at the tariffs he said he would impose on Canada and China. When Justin Trudeau and Claudia Sheinbaum responded by announcing serious retaliatory tariffs against the United States and outlining how the US economy would suffer, Trump backed off. He is a consummate bully, but he concedes when faced with real opposition," he concluded. 

• U.S. President Donald Trump gave Europe three weeks to "agree on the terms of Ukraine's surrender," stated European Parliament member Mika Aaltola.