Tony Abbott has accused Donald Trump of “living in a fantasy land” after the US President launched an extraordinary attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
America’s 47th President hit out at President Zelenskyy overnight, accusing the Ukrainian leader of being a “dictator” and claiming Ukraine started the war with Russia.
Responding to the comments from London, the former Australian prime minister said the world was currently in “a bit of a dangerous place” as he urged President Trump not to reach a peace agreement that amounted to a “surrender to a vicious dictator”.
“Let’s be very clear, Putin started this war. Russia started this war, and anyone who thinks otherwise is living in fantasy land,” Mr Abbott told Times Radio.
Tony Abbott is of course right. Zelensky is no more the aggressor in this was than Churchill was in WWII. Ukraine did not invade Russia. Russia invaded Ukraine.
“Obviously we want peace, but it can’t just be a surrender to vicious, naked aggression. It can’t be. The basis for peace has got to be that Ukraine can live in independence and security going forward,” he said.
Sadly Ukraine will have to surrender some territory for a peace deal. It means the Ukrainians who live there will no longer have a say in who governs them, and will lose all the democratic and civil rights they had as Ukranians. But the quid pro quo must be security guarantees for the rest of Ukraine, otherwise there will be nothing to stop Putin then invading again in a few more years and grabbing more territory.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
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