Camilla Jessen
In a candid BBC interview, Joe Biden criticizes the Trump administration’s push for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden has criticized the Trump administration’s approach to peace talks in Ukraine.
He calls it “modern appeasement” and comparing it to pre-WWII concessions made to Adolf Hitler.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with BBC Radio 4, Biden warned that pressuring Ukraine to cede territory to Russia would embolden Vladimir Putin and threaten European security.
I just don’t understand how people think that if we allow a dictator, a bandit, to take significant portions of land that’s not his, that’s going to satisfy him,” Biden said. “That’s just reckless.
Biden’s comments come as the Trump administration pushes for a peace deal that would reportedly freeze frontlines close to current positions, potentially granting Russia de facto or formal control over occupied territories including Crimea.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance recently outlined a proposal in which Ukraine would give up claims to land Russia has seized since 2014, stating the U.S. must focus on “ending the bloodshed.”
From Campaign Promise to Policy Shift
Trump, who once vowed to end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours” of taking office, has since shifted toward a more transactional strategy, focusing on quickly ending the conflict rather than supporting Ukraine’s full territorial integrity.
According to Bloomberg, recent U.S. proposals in backchannel negotiations include recognition of Russian control over Crimea and other regions in exchange for a ceasefire—although the White House has not publicly confirmed these terms.
Biden condemned the idea.
“It’s modern pacification,” he said, invoking the failed 1938 appeasement policy of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who allowed Nazi Germany to annex parts of Czechoslovakia in a doomed attempt to avoid war.
Biden on Trump’s First 100 Days
When asked to assess Trump’s first 100 days of his second term, Biden was critical but cautious.
“I’ll let history judge that,” he said. “But I don’t see anything that was triumphant.”
He contrasted the current administration with the state of the country at the end of his own term: “Our economy was growing. We were expanding our influence around the world in a positive way.”
Biden also addressed his dramatic exit from the 2024 presidential race after a faltering debate performance raised questions about his age and health.
It was a difficult decision,” he said. “But I think it was the right one. We had a strong candidate to step in, and things moved quickly. I don’t think leaving earlier would have changed much.
Biden expressed alarm over what he sees as a weakening of U.S. alliances under Trump, particularly with Europe.
“Europe will lose confidence in America’s leadership,” he warned. “They’re asking themselves, can I count on the United States?”
Biden criticized Trump’s past calls to reclaim the Panama Canal, buy Greenland, and even make Canada the 51st state, calling such rhetoric “absurd” and un-American.
We’re about freedom, democracy, opportunity—not confiscation,” Biden said. “What president talks like that?
U.S.-Ukrainian relations have grown strained under Trump. In February, tensions boiled over during a televised Oval Office meeting, where Trump and Vance reprimanded President Volodymyr Zelensky for what they called a lack of gratitude for U.S. aid.
Zelensky has repeatedly rejected any plan that requires Ukraine to give up territory. However, some voices within Ukraine—such as Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko—have hinted that temporary territorial concessions might eventually be necessary.
Trump, for his part, recently told reporters:
“I don’t want favorites. I want a deal. A finished deal.”
A Divide on Defense and Diplomacy
Trump and his allies argue that Europe relies too heavily on U.S. military spending and must take more responsibility for its own defense.
Biden countered that alliances, like NATO, are crucial to long-term global stability and cost-effective for the U.S.
“I don’t understand how they can’t see that there’s strength in alliances,” Biden said. “It saves us money, it multiplies our influence.”
According to the Kiel Institute, a Germany-based research center tracking aid to Ukraine, European countries combined have contributed more financially than the U.S., although the U.S. remains the largest individual donor.
