Biden calls Trump's pressure on Ukraine 'modern-day appeasement' in 1st post-presidential interview
LONDON (AP) — Joe Biden said in his first post-presidential interview that President Donald Trump's pressure on Ukraine to give up territory to Russia amounts to ' modern-day appeasement,' a historically fraught term that refers to a failed effort to stop the Nazis from annexing land in Europe in the 1930s.
Biden told BBC Radio 4s 'Today' program in remarks aired Wednesday that Trump's statements about acquiring Panama, Greenland and Canada have bred distrust in Europe.
He also said it was a 'difficult decision' to leave the U.S. presidential race in 2024 four months from Election Day to allow former Vice President Kamala Harris to challenge Trump. But, he added, making that move earlier as some critics had suggested 'would(n't) have mattered.' FILE - President Joe Biden, left, joined by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaks during an event on the Ukraine Compact on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
The term appeasement refers to former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's efforts in the 1930s to appease Adolf Hitler's moves to annex land in Europe, which failed to prevent World War II.
During his interview with BBC Radio 4's 'Today' program, Biden also said that Trump's statements about acquiring Panama, Greenland and Canada have bred distrust of the United States in Europe.
'What president ever talks like that?' Biden said. 'That's not who we are. We're about freedom, democracy, opportunity — not about confiscation.'
Trump has long dismissed the war in Ukraine as a waste of lives and American taxpayer money. Early in his presidency, Trump ordered a pause in American aid to Ukraine — then resumed it. The two countries last week signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine's vast mineral resources — a return on investment, Trump suggested, that could pave the way for more U.S. aid.
He has also said that Crimea, a strategic peninsula along the Black Sea in southern Ukraine that was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, 'will stay with Russia.'
Biden said he worried that relations between the U.S. and Europe was eroding under Trump, with NATO member nations reconsidering whether they trust the U.S.
'Europe is going to lose confidence in the certainty of America and the leadership of America,' Biden told the BBC. The continent's leaders, he added, were asking: ''Can I rely on the United States? Are they going to be there?''
Of special concern, Biden said, was the administration's proposal to let Russia keep some Ukrainian territory in an effort to strike a peace deal that would put an end to fighting.
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'It is modern-day appeasement,' Biden said.
Biden said Trump's thrashing of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office in February was 'beneath America.'
'I don't understand how they fail to understand that there's strength in alliances,' Biden said of the Trump administration on Monday.
Asked about Trump's triumphant celebration of his first 100 days in office, Biden replied that he'll let history render the judgement.
'I don't see anything that was triumphant,' he said.
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Trump says sending National Guard to LA protests was a 'great decision' In a post on his social media site, Trump said the city would have been 'completely obliterated' otherwise. Protests over the president's immigration crackdown spared much of Los Angeles from violence. Weekend clashes swept through several downtown blocks and a handful of other places. Trump wrote that Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass should thank him. He accused them of being untruthful for saying Guard troops weren't necessary. Indigenous community leader urges legal representation for detained workers Perla Rios, an indigenous community leader in Los Angeles, urged legal representation and due process for the dozens of workers who were detained in the city by ICE on Friday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Rios spoke at a conference Monday morning in Los Angeles outside of Ambiance Apparel, where ICE raids set off days of tense protests in the city. Behind her stood family members of workers detained, holding up signs saying 'Immigrants make America Great,' 'Liberate them all' and 'We want justice' next to photos of their loved ones. 'What our families are experiencing is simply a nightmare ,' Rios said. Trump's border czar says Gov. Newsom was 'late to the game' in responding to protests Tom Holman defended the ICE arrests that preceded the protests and Trump's deployment of the National Guard, blaming the California governor for stoking anti-ICE sentiments and waiting two days to declare an unlawful assembly in LA. 'He's failed that state,' Holman told Fox News on Monday morning. Newsom dared federal officials to arrest him in an interview with MSNBC on Sunday, stating, 'Come after me, arrest me, let's just get it over with, tough guy.' On Fox, Holman said there was 'no discussion' about arresting Newsom. Sen. 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'The Mexican government reiterates its unwavering commitment to the protection and defense of the human rights of Mexicans living overseas, regardless of their immigration status. In this sense, we make a respectful but firm call to United States authorities for all immigration procedures to be carried out with adherence to due process, within a framework of respect for human dignity and the rule of law.' 'We do not agree with violent actions as a form of protest. Burning police cars appears to be more an act of provocation than of resistance. We condemn violence, no matter where it comes from. We call on the Mexican community to act pacifically and not allow itself to be provoked.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'The Mexican government will continue using all diplomatic and legal channels available to express its disagreement through its consular network with practices that criminalize immigration and put at risk the safety and wellbeing of our communities in the United States.' Gov. Gavin Newsom to sue Trump over National Guard deployment Newsom, a Democrat, told MSNBC that he planned to file suit Monday against the Trump administration to roll back the Guard deployment, which he called 'an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act.' Trump has cited a legal provision that allows him to mobilize federal troops when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' But Newsom said he believed the president was required to coordinate with the state's governor before ordering such a deployment. 'We're going to test that theory with a lawsuit tomorrow,' Newsom said Sunday. 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Travel Ban As tensions continue to rise over Trump's immigration enforcement, the President's new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries is taking effect Monday. ▶ Follow live updates on President Trump's administration Trump was awake past midnight raging against the protests in LA and calling for a crackdown ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!' he wrote on Truth Social at 12:16 a.m. ET. Roughly 300 National Guard members arrived in the city over the weekend, and Trump said he had authorized 2,000 members to deploy if needed, over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The military said 500 Marines were on standby. 'ARREST THE PEOPLE IN FACE MASKS, NOW!' Trump wrote at 12:19 a.m. Trump cited Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell's recent comments to defend his response to the protests. 'Don't let these thugs get away with this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!' Trump wrote at 12:14 a.m. 'This thing has gotten out of control,' McDonell said Sunday. 'We have great cops in Southern California here that work together all the time,' he said. But he added that 'looking at the violence tonight, I think we gotta make a reassessment.' Australian reporter hit by nonlethal round during live report from the protests An Australian television journalist was hit in the leg by a nonlethal round Sunday while reporting live from downtown Los Angeles. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Video of the incident released by 9News shows correspondent Lauren Tomasi reporting live when an officer behind her suddenly raises their firearm and fires a nonlethal round at close range. Tomasi, who doesn't appear to be wearing personal protective equipment, cries out in pain and clutches her lower leg as she and her cameraman quickly move away from the police line. 'You just (expletive) shot the reporter,' a voice off-camera can be heard shouting. The shooting came after a tense afternoon in which Tomasi and her crew were caught between riot police and protesters. At one point, she struggled to speak over the sound of clashes, while a protester grabbed the camera mid-broadcast. 'They've told people to get out of this area, and protesters have been refusing,' she reported. 'We are safe here. It's just noisy. But you can see the volatility.' Speaking later Monday to 9News, Tomasi confirmed she was safe and unharmed. Clashes escalated Sunday as National Guard troops arrived downtown Starting Sunday morning, the troops stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields as protesters shouted 'shame' and 'go home.' After some closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street. Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until state patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Nearby, at least four self-driving Waymo cars were set on fire, sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky and exploding intermittently as the electric vehicles burned. By evening, police had issued an unlawful assembly order shutting down several blocks of downtown Los Angeles. Flash bangs echoed out every few seconds into the evening. Protests intensified on Sunday night in Los Angeles after Trump deployed National Guard troops Sunday's protests in Los Angeles were centered in several blocks of downtown. It was the third and most intense day of demonstrations against Trump's immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 Guard troops spurred anger and fear among many residents. Many protesters dispersed as evening fell and police declared an unlawful assembly, a precursor to officers moving in and making arrests of people who don't leave. Some of those remaining threw objects at police from behind a makeshift barrier that spanned the width of a street and others hurled chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover. The Guard was deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the downtown detention center where protesters concentrated. Several dozen people were arrested throughout the weekend of protest. One was detained Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police, and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers. ▶ Read more about the weekend's protests
