Ukraine must forget Crimea, focus on peace, Trump advisor says

A senior advisor to president-elect Donald Trump says Ukraine must give up Crimea for peace

A senior advisor to president-elect Donald Trump said that the “incoming administration will focus on achieving peace in Ukraine rather than supporting efforts to reclaim Russian-occupied territories."

The comments pour cold water on Ukraine’s ambitions to regain sovereignty over all territory occupied illegally by Russia.

"What we're going to say to Ukraine is, you know what you see? What do you see as a realistic vision for peace. It's not a vision for winning, but it's a vision for peace. And let's start having the honest conversation," Bryan Lanza, a Republican strategist and long-time Trump advisor said.

Earlier this week, Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his election victory and said Trump's claim that he can help end the war in Ukraine "deserves attention at least".

Trump also spoke to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his election win, with billionaire Elon Musk also taking part in the call that “lasted about half an hour.”

Trump has consistently maintained that his priority is to end the war during his election campaign and reduce the strain on US resources caused by billions in military aid to Ukraine.

The US has been the biggest arms supplier to Ukraine. Between February 2022 and the end of June 2024, it delivered weapons and equipment worth $55.5bn (€51.6bn)

Lanza also criticised the current administration's approach to the conflict. “The reality on the ground is that the European nation states and President Biden did not give Ukraine the ability and the arms to win this war at the very beginning and they failed to lift the restrictions for Ukraine to win.”