Former US President Joe Biden has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, accusing him of engaging in “modern-day appeasement.” In his first in-depth interview since leaving office, Biden told the BBC’s Today programme that Trump’s rhetoric and foreign policy proposals — including renaming the Gulf of Mexico and acquiring Greenland — were damaging to American values and global standing. “What president ever talks like that?” he asked. “That’s not who we are.”
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Biden defended his own record on Ukraine, stating that his administration provided Kyiv with everything it needed to protect its independence. He rejected Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine should surrender territory to secure peace with Russia. Drawing a parallel to Neville Chamberlain’s failed policy towards Adolf Hitler, Biden warned, “Anyone who thinks Putin will stop there is just foolish.” He added: “I don’t understand how people think a dictator can be appeased by letting him take what isn’t his.”
The interview also touched on recent tensions in the White House. Biden reflected on a confrontational meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which reportedly ended in a row and stalled negotiations over a critical minerals deal. “It was beneath America, the way that took place,” Biden said. Despite concerns about his cognitive health, Biden remained firm that his decision to exit the presidential race in 2024 and support Kamala Harris was the right one, even if the timing made it challenging.
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Reflecting on the first 100 days of Trump’s second term, Biden criticised the flurry of executive orders, dismantling of federal departments, and a widening global trade war. “We were growing the economy and expanding our global influence,” he said of his own presidency. Responding to Trump’s self-congratulatory “achievement speech” delivered at a major rally in Michigan, Biden remarked: “I don’t see anything that was triumphant.”
