In a revealing and wide-ranging interview, former U.S. President Joe Biden delivered one of his most forceful public condemnations yet of Donald Trump’s foreign policy approach especially on the issue of Ukraine. Speaking from his home state of Delaware, Biden warned that the Trump administration’s apparent willingness to pressure Ukraine into ceding territory to Russia amounted to “modern-day appeasement”, a sharp historical comparison to the failed pre-WWII policies of Britain’s Neville Chamberlain toward Adolf Hitler.
Biden’s remarks come as Allied nations commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, a fitting backdrop as he sounded the alarm over what he perceives to be an unraveling of the transatlantic alliance under Trump’s second term.
“You Give Him an Inch, He’ll Take a Mile”
On the question of peace with Russia, Biden was direct. “Putin believes Ukraine is part of Russia. Anybody that thinks he’s going to stop if some territory is conceded is just foolish,” he stated. The suggestion by Trump’s White House team that Ukraine should consider giving up parts of its territory especially Crimea and eastern regions currently occupied by Russian forces was met with sharp criticism from Biden.
Comparing these calls to the disastrous appeasement of Hitler in the 1930s, Biden warned that making concessions to authoritarian leaders never ends with just one demand. “I just don’t understand how people think that if we allow a dictator, a thug, to take significant portions of land that aren’t his, that that’s going to satisfy him,” Biden said, visibly frustrated.
The Trump Doctrine: Appeasement or Realignment?
Trump’s foreign policy stance, particularly through Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, appears to be pivoting toward a ceasefire that would freeze current territorial lines, essentially legitimizing Russia’s occupation. Vance went as far as to say that Ukraine and Russia would have to “give up some of the territory they currently own,” while Hegseth called any expectation of returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders “unrealistic.”
Trump, meanwhile, has maintained a publicly neutral stance, saying, “I have no favourites. I want to have a deal done.” However, he has also implied that Crimea is already lost and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of obstructing peace talks. In Biden’s view, this isn’t neutrality, it’s complicity.
Cracks in the Alliance?
A major concern Biden raised is the signal such a policy shift sends to Europe. “Europe is going to lose confidence in the certainty of America and the leadership of America,” he warned. This sentiment echoes growing unease among European NATO members, particularly those bordering Russia, who may feel increasingly vulnerable if the U.S. wavers in its support for Ukraine.
“There’s strength in alliances,” Biden emphasized, noting that far from being a burden, partnerships with European allies ultimately save the U.S. money and enhance global security.
The Oval Office Showdown
The tension between the current administration and Ukraine reached a boiling point earlier this year when Zelensky was summoned to the White House for what turned into a highly critical televised meeting. Trump and Vance berated the Ukrainian leader for what they saw as insufficient gratitude for U.S. aid. Biden described the exchange as “beneath America,” pointing to it as evidence of how far the tone of U.S. diplomacy has shifted.
Reflecting on His Own Record—and His Exit
Biden was also asked to reflect on his own record on Ukraine. He defended the gradual escalation of U.S. support during his presidency, saying, “We gave them everything they needed to provide for their independence.” While acknowledging that policy evolved over time, he stood by his administration’s decisions.
Turning to his abrupt exit from the 2024 presidential race following a stumbling debate performance, Biden remained reflective but firm. “I don’t think it would have mattered,” he said about whether stepping down earlier would’ve helped the Democrats. “We left at a time when we had a good candidate.”
The decision, he admitted, was emotionally wrenching. “It was just a difficult decision,” he repeated, though ultimately, “the right one.”
Biden vs. Trump is a Tale of Two Americas
Contrasting the Trump administration’s brash and isolationist tone, Biden defended the state of the nation when he left office: “Our economy was growing… stock markets were up… our global influence was expanding.” In contrast, he questioned the flurry of executive actions and drastic federal cuts initiated by Trump, saying: “I’ll let history judge that. I don’t see anything that was triumphant.”
From proposals to buy Greenland to suggesting Canada be the 51st U.S. state, Biden said Trump’s foreign policy ideas are outlandish and fundamentally un-American: “What the hell’s going on here? What president ever talks like that?”
A Warning to the World
Perhaps the most sobering takeaway from Biden’s interview was his fear that the world is becoming desensitized to autocracy. “If Ukraine gives up land, NATO countries might begin to think they too must make accommodations with Russia,” he warned.
His closing message was – diplomacy without principle is not peace – it is submission. And that, Biden suggested, is exactly what the Trump administration is asking of Ukraine.
