Transcriber: nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v2, sat-12l-sm, and large-v3-turbo
Source
Participants
Appearances
bernie sanders
sen/d00:51
j
john mcardle
cspan03:27
keir starmer
gbr02:08
m
mike waltz
un01:51
Clips
dana bash
cnn00:04
james lankford
sen/r00:22
kristen welker
nbc00:21
?
Voice
Speaker
Time
Text
Ukraine Must Be Involved00:04:26
unidentified
Audrey, I'm from Philadelphia and I hope the president addresses science funding.
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This is the headline, the lead story in today's Washington Times.
Because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past.
We cannot accept a weak deal like Minsk, which Russia can breach with ease.
Instead, any deal must be backed by strength.
Every nation must contribute to that in the best way that it can, bringing different capabilities and support to the table, but all taking responsibility to act, all stepping up their own share of the burden.
So we agreed some important steps today.
First, we will keep the military aid flowing and keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia to strengthen Ukraine now.
Second, we agreed that any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and security.
And Ukraine must be at the table.
Third, in the event of a peace deal, we will keep boosting Ukraine's own defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion.
Fourth, we will go further to develop a coalition of the willing to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace.
Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can't mean that we sit back.
Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency.
The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air.
Together with others, Europe must do the heavy listing.
But to support peace in our continent and to succeed, this effort must have strong US backing.
We're working with the US on this point.
After my meeting with President Trump last week.
And let me be clear.
We agree with the President on the urgent need for a durable peace.
Now we need to deliver together.
Ron's Concerns About America's Role00:15:23
unidentified
I was British Prime Minister Kier Starmer yesterday.
We're going to hear a lot more from President Trump this week on Tuesday evening, set to give a joint address from Capitol Hill to a joint session of Congress.
unidentified
We'll, of course, be airing that live on C-SPAN for you to watch and listen in.
Donald Trump, yesterday in one of several Truth Social posts, said this: that we should spend less time worrying about Putin and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs and drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our country so that we don't end up like Europe.
unidentified
The president yesterday will look for more of his comments on social media.
And of course, we're going to be talking more about that address to Congress.
A preview of that coming up in about an hour here on the Washington Journal.
For this first hour today, though, simply asking you, what is America's role in the world today?
unidentified
A foreign policy question for you this morning.
202-748-8000 for Democrats.
2027-8001 for Republicans.
Independents, it's 202-748-8002.
We'll start in Texas.
Joe is on that line for Democrats.
Good morning.
Joe, you with us?
Then we go to Ron in California, Republican line.
Ron, good morning.
Good morning, John.
Thank you so much for taking the call.
You know, this is amazing times, historic times.
It was just the highlight of my life since the election to watch the meltdown of our MAGA president.
And it was unbelievable what they did bringing in Mr. Zelensky into the Oval Office there with all those people.
Why did they need 20 members of the cast there around them along with the press to make a big deal out of it?
And then when they realized that Zelensky wasn't buying their process, and he wasn't going to sell out his country for without security, they melted down.
And Ron, you say all this as a Republican?
I'm assuming you're a Republican.
To be honest, now I'll be very honest with you.
I'm a Reagan and a George Laura Republican.
I'm from that branch of the Republican Party, and I just, I'm beside myself what has happened to our country and what they did in front of the international press.
So what is America's role in the world today, Ron?
unidentified
Should it be or shouldn't it be?
Well, you're exactly right.
What the role should be is to be the leader, as we have been for all these years, and take, bring Mr. Zelensky into the NATO area.
I would say that would be a good thing.
I think he should be in the European Union.
I think that America should join hands with the European Union.
I'm hopeful that the European Union will step up and fill the void for what we're going through right now.
And it's just a terrible thing.
And I've just go ahead and finish your thoughts.
Yeah.
I would just say this, that we're at a crossroads, that we really need to make a change.
And one last thing, John, if you will let me mention this.
When they put the deal together with the Saudis and the Russians, and they didn't bring in the European Union or they didn't bring in Ukraine as part of the negotiations, you know that Trump made a side deal with Putin for the goods of the rare earths.
Right now, I just hope I'm very hopeful that Mr. Zelensky never sells rare earths to the United States.
Thanks so much, Rio.
That's Ron in California.
We will stay in California.
Dan is in Santa Barbara, Independent.
Good morning.
Morning.
That last caller was spot on.
Unfortunately, with this president, the U.S.'s foreign policy is switching from global leadership and consistently siding with the moral countries and the countries that are right.
And we're spiraling into this infantile neophyte isolationist type of foreign policy, and then maybe at times predatory foreign policy, you know, transactional if it benefits the president and his cronies and what he deems is good for America.
It's really sad.
Fried Zakaria, GPS, had a really good monologue yesterday about that.
You know, how, you know, except for a few mistakes we've made, we've always been on the side of right and just.
And now it seems like this president wants to make a global alliance with empires like Russia and China and take more of a predatory mindset and just get what we can and prey on countries that we view as weak.
Dan, when you say except for a few mistakes we've made, what do you think in recent years is one or two of the mistakes that we've made?
I mean, the Iraq war, obviously.
I mean, I think the neocons, you know, on paper, they had a good idea of democracy flourishing through the Middle East, but it was dumb.
And it kind of led us to where we're at now with isolationists like JD Vance and Tulsi Gabbard, who is a tool, Tulsi Gabbard.
And yeah, they just have this isolationist thing now, like any conflict, don't get involved with it, be extremely anti-NATO, be extremely anti-global order.
And it's going to hurt us, and I think it's going to hurt a lot of countries in the long run.
So, you know, things like that.
So I think it's a sad day for American foreign policy, and people like Reagan and John McCain and Barry Goldwater, if we're any Republicans listening, all those guys are spinning in their graves right now.
That's Dan in California, Independent line.
Somebody who very much has an influence on foreign policy is the United States National Security Advisor.
Mike Waltz was on CNN State of the Union yesterday, going on the Sunday shows in the wake of this blow-up in the Oval Office between President Trump and President Zelensky.
Well, we can't get any specifics from the Ukrainians, but this will clearly be some type of territorial concession for security guarantees going forward.
I mean, that has been discussed in previous rounds of the US.
Taking your phone calls this morning, the question we're asking is: what is America's role in the world today?
unidentified
How do you see it?
Eric, New York Democrat.
Good morning.
Yes.
Good day.
I'm also Ukrainian.
I'm a veteran.
I think everybody's been making some great points about Ukraine, but the question is about America's role.
So my problem is to define America.
It's supposed to be the people's choice.
And I think the latest numbers were that 80-some percent of Americans don't trust Putin.
So this doesn't look like America's role in the world.
It looks like Putin's or Putin and, for it in slip, Trump.
It looks like it's Trump and Putin's world.
You know, I think they're going to be heading into an oligarchy.
And of course, that fits with Russia's vision.
They've been saying that the stamps from that meeting on Friday works that way.
Anyways, Eric, which should be.
Anybody's listened to Americans?
What should be the vision for America?
What should we be doing in the world?
Well, number one, we shouldn't be anybody's enemy for starters.
I mean, you know, I'm a Vietnam, and I watched that happen.
You know, I watch people get fed right into the meat grinder, not unlike the Ukrainian war.
But America's got to, you know, America's got to be firm around their policy and react to what Americans want.
Americans want it.
I didn't vote for Putin.
They really clear.
I didn't vote for Putin.
Do you think Americans want American troops in Ukraine?
Oh, no, I don't think so.
I don't think so.
You know, the peace is the right ideal, but how does America do it?
I don't know.
It's very complicated, and we have a lot of people on both sides that, you know, it's the yin and yang of it, you know, and I don't see any balance.
Do you think Americans want billions of dollars more in American money to Ukraine?
I think that's a good price to pay.
I think that's really a good price to pay.
They're willing to fight the war and have their young men.
And let's face it, you know, both sides, there's a lot of young Russian men dying that shouldn't be like that.
But, you know, I watched America's role in Vietnam.
I don't want it to be like that, that's for sure.
I know what I don't want.
And I don't think Americans like it either.
Everybody I'm talking to is just really upset about this Putin thing.
It's just he's given in way too quick, our traditions.
My uncles, I had two uncles at the beach in Normandy, and they're rolling over in their grave.
I just, you know, and Trump's disdain for the military is just, I don't know what to do.
I think that, you know, we should always strive for peace, obviously, you know, but we couldn't do it in Vietnam.
We really couldn't do it in Iraq.
Certainly not Afghanistan.
And so, you know, I certainly don't like the role of being a policeman.
I mean, that doesn't work out.
There's still people who die for that cause.
But I would like to see Americans represented in the world stage.
Got your point.
That's Eric in New York.
This is Arthur in Florida.
Republican line.
Good morning to you, sir.
Yes.
America first.
Anything else you want to add, Arthur?
Yes.
I would like to add something else.
We are spending so much money with Ukraine that could be spent there in the United States instead of us thinking that we can spend millions and millions of dollars and it magically reappears.
There's got to be a part of this war stops.
And that's all I got to say.
That's Arthur in Florida.
This is Lynn, Independent in the Tar Hill State.
Good morning.
Good morning.
I am still disappointed with what's going on right now.
We're like, we're, this is the same paybook for World War I. You're talking about nationalism, militarialism, money.
All this has been for what?
I mean, for what?
Imagine this, imagine Putin coming over here telling us what to do with this country.
I mean, this is crazy.
This has got to stop.
Lynn, when you say.
Did you say this is like World War I?
Is that what you said?
Yes, it's like the same paybook as World War I. Explain what you mean.
World War I was starting over nationalism, being militarized, those type of things.
This is the exact same thing.
It's almost the exact same paper.
We get involved in something that happened.
We have nothing to do with what's going on.
We're helping Ukraine fight the same thing that Putin did, that Russia did back in World War I.
On learning the lessons of the past, this is the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, the conservative pages of the Wall Street Journal.
This is what they write with his first weeks back in office, and especially after Friday's Oval Office brawling with Ukrainian President Vlodymir Zelensky, it's clear President Trump has designs for a new world order.
unidentified
Perhaps he could share his vision with the country when he addresses Congress on Tuesday.
He wants to hit Western Europe with heavy tariffs on its autos and slap reciprocal tariffs on the rest of the trading world.
He says it's a return to the world of great power competition and balance of power that prevailed before World War II.
unidentified
It's less a brave new world than a reversion to a dangerous old one.
He says Tuesday night would be a great moment to make his ambitions clear, talking about President Trump explaining his vision for the world to the American people.
That's, again, the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal in today's edition.
This is Brian here in Washington, D.C. Democrat.
Good morning.
Good morning.
I think people need to check their history.
The reason that this war is occurring is not because of the United States and Western Europe.
When the Soviet Union broke up and what we call now Ukraine came aboard, they had the third largest nuclear arsenal in the planet.
That is a big, big ACE card, as Trump's talking about.
So five ACEs, forget four, against Russia or anybody else that chose it.
And in return for giving up their nuclear stockpile, the West and especially the United States, which ended up taking these nuclear weapons and disarming them, agreed to protect and ensure Ukraine's borders at their then current state.
That was in the early 90s.
Brian, you're talking about the Minsk agreement.
Take me to today and what America's role in the world should be.
It all leads up to today.
Because the United States, they all say they're going to, you know, agree with it.
They didn't.
Okay.
Then they had the one that Pazinski talks about himself and they made the agreement with Russia and then Russia reneged again.
Why should Ukraine agree to anything unless they put boots on the ground and let them have something to lose?
Right now, only people losing is Ukraine.
When you say all they think the West is doing is making lip service.
Brian, when you say they should have boots on the ground, who's they?
Who are you referring to?
The United States?
Are you referring to the United?
Really, truly, and I know that's not going to happen.
Everybody who was part of that Minsk agreement, who agreed to protect Ukraine and their then borders, and then sat quietly, including Obama.
And I'm a black man in D.C., so you know who I voted for.
And they all just clutched their pearls as Russia did everything against them.
Trump's talking about a card.
They gave up their cards.
They had an inside flush.
Everybody know that big card is royal flush.
And at the urging of the United States and other countries, they gave up their cards and folded.
You may want to read Mark Thiessen's piece in today's Washington Post if you want to pick it up, making some of the points that you're making here.
Mark Thiessen writing that the blowup in the Oval Office on Friday was Zelensky's fault and saying afterwards, Zelensky should have stayed in Washington until the rift was mended.
In that Truth Social post, he said Zelensky can come back when he's ready for peace.
Zelensky should have seized that opening and sent Trump a handwritten note expressing his sorrow that the meeting had gone off the rails, regretting the role that he played in its demise and declaring his intention to work with Trump for peace.
Instead, he refused the off-ramp that Trump had offered him and got on his plane and left.
unidentified
His stubbornness was an asset in February of 2022 when he refused to flee Kyiv in the face of the advancing Russian forces, but today it is his liability.
Zelensky's greatest virtue becomes his worst vice is the headline of Mark Thiessen's piece, if you want to read it today.
Taking your phone calls this morning, simply asking you what is America's role in the world today.
Questions amid these discussions about the future of Ukraine about Zelensky's role in Ukraine and in the future of Ukraine.
Zelensky is leading a country trying to defend democracy against an authoritarian dictator, Putin, who invaded his country.
And I think millions of Americans are embarrassed or ashamed that you have a president of the United States who says that Ukraine started the war, that Zelensky is a dictator.
He's got it exactly backwards.
The people of Ukraine have lost tens of thousands of soldiers.
Their cities are being bombed as we speak.
And our job is to defend the 250-year tradition that we have of being the democratic leader of the world, not turn our backs on a struggling country that is trying to do the right thing.
Senator Bernie Sanders on Meet the Press yesterday, also on Meet the Press, Republican James Lankford also giving his view about the implications of what's happening today in Ukraine for what it means for the United States in the world going forward.
Are you concerned that what happened in the Oval Office, the fact that the United States sided with Russia and North Korea in that UN vote, for example, the fact that President Trump accused Zelensky of starting this war, could that be sending a signal to China that it has a green light to invade Taiwan?
What President Trump is trying to do is trying to get both sides to the table.
This is the interesting challenge that has not been done now through this entire war in the last three years to be able to get both sides and then figure out how to be able to get a stop to the fighting and then to be able to keep the fighting stop.
unidentified
That's the next part that's the biggest next challenge.
And we are expecting a busy week here on Capitol Hill, including a joint address to Congress and the American people by President Trump from the House of Representatives.
unidentified
It's what in other years would be called a State of the Union address.
It's simply referred to a joint address in the president's first year after an election.