How Trump Intends to End the War in Ukraine: His Future National Security Advisor Reveals Details of the Plan

On January 12, 2025, Republican Congressman Mike Walz, who was appointed as President-elect Donald Trump's national security adviser, gave an interview to a political commentator ABC Jonathan Karl. In it, Walz explained how the Trump administration sees steps to end the war in Ukraine, how it assesses the situation in the Middle East, and how it plans to ensure US foreign policy security.

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Trump has said a phone call between him and Putin is likely in the coming days or weeks, which could be the first step toward setting up talks to end the war in Ukraine.

"We need to see stabilization on the battlefield"

— The president says he is working on arranging a meeting with Putin. How quickly do you think that could happen?

— Preparations are already underway. I was struck by how, since the presidential election, many have moved from the idea of ​​“fighting a war, no matter how long it lasts — months, years, decades” to the idea that it needs to be ended. Even President Zelensky said in Paris that he is ready to work together to end this war. He proposed ending it fairly, responsibly, so that the future of Ukraine is protected. And then the whole world can move on.

On the subject: Trump has chosen his Ukrainian chargé d'affaires: how General Keith Kellogg intends to end the war

From President Trump's perspective, you can't make an agreement unless you have a relationship and a dialogue with the other side. We will certainly establish that relationship in the coming months.

— Do you expect the first meeting with Putin to be just Trump and Putin, or will it include Ukraine, Zelensky, and Trump?

— We haven’t yet determined the exact structure of the meeting. We’re still working on it.

But I expect a call in the coming days and weeks. That will be the first step, and we will move forward from there. And we will need to see stabilization on the battlefield.

One of the things we will ask the Ukrainians for is a solution to the problem of human resources. The current age for conscription in their country is 26, not 18. (In fact, it is not 26, but 25. – Approx. Ed.) I think many people don't realize this.

They could recruit hundreds of thousands of new soldiers. We hear about morale problems and problems at the front. But listen: if Ukrainians are asking the world to support democracy, we need them to support democracy, too.

They are really fighting bravely. They are really fighting a noble and hard fight. But we need to see how the manpower issues are being addressed. It's not just about ammunition and money.

We need to see a stabilization of the fronts so that we can move toward some kind of agreement. President Trump, of course, has said that he could end the war even before he takes office. I suspect that will not happen.

— With only eight days left until his inauguration, what is a realistic timeframe for at least a ceasefire in Ukraine?

— We would like to see a ceasefire at any moment, any day. I think that would be an incredibly positive first step on both sides. It would allow us to enter into some kind of negotiation process. Everyone knows that this has to end diplomatically. I don’t think it’s realistic to promise that we’re going to push every Russian off every inch of Ukrainian soil.

Even if it's about the annexation of Crimea, President Trump has acknowledged that reality. And I think it would be a big step forward if the entire world acknowledged that reality. Let's move forward.

How do we prevent the conflict from escalating? We are already seeing North and South Korea being drawn into it. This conflict could expand, we need to stop it.

"You can't take Americans hostage with impunity"

— Let me ask you about the other major conflict, the attempts to make a deal with Hamas to free the hostages. What are the prospects? Can this be resolved before January 20?

- These negotiations are happening right now. Hamas is completely isolated.

They have always counted on help from the north from Hezbollah, which was recently destroyed... So Hamas has nowhere to expect support from, and it must enter into an agreement through a ceasefire.

(When Walz said Hezbollah had been “destroyed,” he may have been referring to the group’s weakening in recent years. The congressman could have been referring to a series of military operations against Hezbollah or its weakening on the battlefield, which has reduced the group’s ability to support Hamas in Palestine as it had been expected to do. – Approx. Ed.)

Let's get our hostages out. I want to see them walk down the runway. Or at least have some kind of deal before the inauguration, because President Trump is serious. Any kind of deal is going to be a problem for Hamas.

I don't think anyone fully realizes that these hostages have been in tunnels where they have been tortured, raped and held in terrible conditions for longer than our hostages were held in Iran in 1979. This is simply unacceptable.

There will also be consequences for those who think they can take Americans hostage with impunity. There will no longer be any benefit to those who harm Americans abroad.

"Stop allowing enemies into our Western Hemisphere"

— President Trump shocked everyone this week when he did not rule out the possibility of using military force to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland. Is that serious?

“What he is really serious about is the threats we face in the Arctic and in the Western Hemisphere.

And it's not just you who's going to hear it from him or me. The general who leads our Southern Command, Laura Richardson, testified last year about how Chinese state-owned enterprises are buying up parts of the canal, ports on both sides. [This is done by] Huawei, the Chinese tech company that dominates the free trade zone and telecommunications.

(Indeed, the Chinese company Huawei and other Chinese companies are interested in investing in infrastructure related to the Panama Canal. This is due to their involvement in port and logistics activities in the region. However, it is worth noting that information about Chinese companies purchasing specific sections of the Panama Canal or controlling stakes in the canal itself has not been confirmed.

As for Huawei specifically, it is heavily invested in infrastructure in various countries, including Panama, particularly in the communications and telecommunications sector. In the past, Huawei was reported to be involved in the construction of facilities and installation of equipment in the Panama Canal, raising concerns about the potential threat to U.S. national security due to the widespread presence of Chinese technology in strategic locations. – Approx. Ed.)

70% of the world's maritime traffic, including our gas exports and oil, passes through the Panama Canal, which is critical to our military.

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There are reasons why the US should protect its key assets in the Panama Canal under a neutrality treaty. In the case of Greenland, there is a precedent under a 1951 protection agreement.

(The precedent Mike Walz refers to is the 1951 U.S.-Denmark Mutual Defense Treaty, which provided for the defense of Greenland as part of a broader Cold War security agreement. – Approx. Ed.)

Look at our great friends and allies in Denmark. They actually have several dog teams in Greenland. And when we see Russia with 60 icebreakers, when we see huge reserves of critical minerals, oil and gas, new trade routes opening up as the polar ice caps retreat, it's time to stop allowing adversaries to enter our Western Hemisphere, to threaten our security. And President Trump is ready to take decisive steps to ensure that the United States is worthy of defense.

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