Trump Questions Ukraine War Strategy, Draws GOP Rebuke

Former President Donald Trump questioned Ukraine’s ability to defeat Russia, telling supporters at an Aug. 26 event that “nobody goes into a war thinking they’re going to lose” and suggesting Ukraine faced an adversary “15 times” its size. He added that President Joe Biden “shouldn’t have let that happen,” implying U.S. policy had encouraged Kyiv to take on an unwinnable fight. The comments drew immediate pushback from Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, who called Trump’s assessment “insulting,” arguing that Russia, not Ukraine, misjudged the conflict when its forces failed to seize Kyiv early in the invasion. The exchange underscores persistent divisions within the Republican Party over continued U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s 2022 invasion.