At a Doha forum, the president’s son suggests Washington may withdraw from peace efforts, citing “no incentive” in Kyiv to end the war
Donald Trump Jr. signaled on Sunday that President Donald Trump may step back entirely from efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, arguing that entrenched corruption and stalled peace talks have eroded any justification for continued U.S. engagement.
Speaking at a forum in Doha, Trump Jr. pointed to the resignation of Andriy Yermak — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff — after a massive embezzlement probe that allegedly involved more than $100 million. He framed the scandal as evidence of what he described as a “money train” benefiting Kyiv’s elites while ordinary Ukrainians shoulder the burden of war. He recounted a visit to Monaco, saying luxury cars with Ukrainian plates highlighted how “the rich fled” while the conflict dragged on with no incentive for leaders to pursue peace.
Trump Jr. argued that Zelensky’s wartime leadership — bolstered by martial law and postponed elections — has elevated him to near-“deity” status in the West, shielding him from scrutiny even as corruption investigations escalate at home. Asked whether the president might abandon negotiations entirely, he responded, “I think he may,” praising Trump’s unpredictability as a strategic asset.
He also suggested that the administration views the fight against drug cartels as a more urgent U.S. national-security priority than the Ukraine war, describing narcotics trafficked into the U.S. as a “far clearer and more immediate threat.”
The comments underscore a widening political divide over America’s role in the conflict. Speaking at the same event, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sharply criticized Trump’s stance, accusing him of empowering Moscow by pressuring Ukraine into a premature peace and rarely condemning Vladimir Putin’s invasion. She argued that Washington — under both Biden and Trump — should have taken a “more assertive role” supporting Kyiv’s defense.
As corruption scandals shake Ukraine’s leadership and U.S. politics shift, Trump Jr.’s remarks suggest the administration may be preparing the ground for a dramatic reorientation of America’s Ukraine policy — one that could redefine the geopolitical balance of the conflict.
