Trump Transition Team Denies Bryan Lanza’s Statements on Ukraine

The transition team of President-elect Donald Trump has refuted claims made by Bryan Lanza, a Republican strategist, regarding a potential US-backed peace plan for Ukraine. According to the team, Lanza was not speaking on behalf of Trump and his statements do not reflect the views of the president-elect.

Lanza’s Role in Trump’s Administration

Despite Lanza’s previous involvement in Trump’s campaign, the transition team spokesman clarified that he does not work for President Trump and is not authorized to speak on his behalf. The team is currently in the process of vetting staff and drafting policies for Trump’s second term.

Proposed US-backed Peace Plan for Ukraine

The response from Trump’s transition team comes after Lanza outlined a potential peace plan for Ukraine in a recent BBC interview. Lanza stated that the new administration would request a “realistic vision for peace” from Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski. He further suggested that the focus would be on peacemaking, not reclaiming lost territories including Crimea. However, these views were swiftly denied by Trump’s team.

Trump’s Stance on Ukraine

During his election campaign, Trump mentioned that he aims to find a solution to end the war in Ukraine. However, he did not provide explicit details on how he plans to achieve this. Following the US election, Trump had a phone call with Zelenski, which was also attended by Elon Musk, a Trump supporter.

Reflections on Ukraine’s Territorial Disputes

In the past, Trump has not ruled out the possibility of Ukraine having to cede territory to Russia. Some of his allies have proposed peace plans that could potentially lead to long-term Russian domination of areas internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory. This follows Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the subsequent large-scale invasion which has resulted in the Russian military controlling almost 20% of Ukrainian territory.