Trump Should Avoid Rewarding Aggressor, Former Ukraine Negotiator Says (2025)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Kurt Volker, a former US special representative for Ukraine negotiations during the first Trump administration, on Saturday warned his ex-boss against “underestimating” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions. He called for the US President to consider punishing the aggressor for continuing the war against Ukraine, instead of rewarding him.

Speaking to Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent, Ambassador Volker said that the current US administration was deluding itself in believing that Putin would be rational and would want to end the war.

“Putin is not reasonable. He does not want an end to the war,” Volker warned.

He went on to explain: “Putin started this war on purpose, and his goal is really to take over all of Ukraine and rebuild the Russian Empire. He will only stop this war if he feels that the costs of continuing are too high.”

Volker served as US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations between 2017 and 2019, during Trump’s first term in the White House. He is currently a distinguished fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis.

In an interview with Kyiv Post, he criticized US plans for potentially recognizing Crimea, calling it “wrong” and “illogical,” citing historical context and the Trump administration’s previous non-recognition stance.

Trump, who is pushing to get a deal out the door before marking his 100 days in office next week, blasted President Volodymyr Zelensky this week over Kyiv’s pushback against his peace proposal, which his advisors signaled would likely include territorial concessions. The US President also told TIME Magazine that Crimea “will stay with Russia” and that “Zelensky understands that.

”Zelensky, in response, pointed to a 2018 “Crimea Declaration” by Trump’s first term in office, which indicates the US rejected “Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea” and pledged to continue until Ukraine’s territorial integrity was restored.

Volker, who once helped draft and implement the Crimea Declaration, told Kyiv Post that the idea of US recognition of Crimea would only embolden the aggressor. “This just makes no sense. No one – neither Ukraine, nor the US – should recognize the Russian occupation of Crimea,” he said.

He highlighted a shift in US policy under Trump’s second term, driven by Trump’s personal engagement and a desire to end the hot conflict. He also appeared to blame Trump’s current team on apparent reversal in US policy.

“When Russia says, ‘Oh, Crimea has always been Russian,’ that simply is not true. But I don’t think you have people in the current [Trump] administration who know that,” he said.

“Back in 2018, you had people like [former Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo and others who could work on this and produce a good policy. Now, everything is being directed by Trump personally,” he added.

When asked about Trump’s current special envoy, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, Volker said he’d never met him.

“I’ve always seen what he has said publicly in the media, and it’s clear that he doesn’t know the issues, he doesn’t know the territory, he doesn’t know Russia, he doesn’t know Ukraine, he doesn’t know the history. It’s a shame, because that sort of stuff matters.”

Volker, who also served as the US ambassador to NATO under George W. Bush, also suggested that NATO should not be included in any agreement with Russia, as it is none of Russia’s business and does not belong in such discussions.

“It may be true that NATO is not ready to bring in Ukraine, and the US is not to support it right now, so that’s okay, and I would just make sure that there is no agreement that says anything about NATO. Just leave it off the table. Come back to it later,” he said.

The focus, he said in conclusion, should be on ending the war, maintaining peace, and pursuing the return of Ukraine’s territory through other means.