1 00:00:01,300 --> 00:00:02,900 AMNA NAWAZ: Let's turn now to Nick Schifrin on the 2 00:00:02,900 --> 00:00:05,433 foreign policy aspects of the president's Davos discussion. 3 00:00:05,433 --> 00:00:06,366 Nick, good to see you. 4 00:00:06,366 --> 00:00:08,633 NICK SCHIFRIN: Thanks, Amna. 5 00:00:08,633 --> 00:00:10,600 AMNA NAWAZ: So we have been talking about this. The president hit on a lot of different points, 6 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:12,800 a lot of different regions. Specifically, on Ukraine, what did he have to say? 7 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,100 NICK SCHIFRIN: Senior administration officials have told me that Ukraine is one of, 8 00:00:17,100 --> 00:00:20,100 if not the top priority for this administration. 9 00:00:20,100 --> 00:00:23,500 And President Trump has consistently said that his 10 00:00:23,500 --> 00:00:28,500 priority is to end the war and what he called the killing fields of Ukraine. 11 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,400 DONALD TRUMP: I have seen pictures of what's taking place. It's a carnage, 12 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:37,466 and we really have to stop that war. That war is horrible. And I'm not 13 00:00:37,466 --> 00:00:42,166 talking economy. I'm not talking economics. I'm not talking about natural resources. 14 00:00:42,166 --> 00:00:47,133 I'm just talking about there's so many young people being killed in this war. 15 00:00:49,333 --> 00:00:51,866 NICK SCHIFRIN: Now, today, as Lisa noted, he said that Zelenskyy was ready to make a deal, 16 00:00:51,866 --> 00:00:56,833 but it wasn't clear whether Putin was and that he wanted to see Putin -- quote -- "immediately." 17 00:00:58,833 --> 00:01:02,000 So, how do you get Russia to agree to a deal? It has become increasingly clear 18 00:01:03,733 --> 00:01:06,666 that Ukraine on the battlefield cannot put enough pressure on the 19 00:01:06,666 --> 00:01:11,666 Russian military to create pressure on Putin. Senior Trump officials tell me 20 00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:17,066 that they believe it's more effective to pressure Putin economically or via China. 21 00:01:19,033 --> 00:01:23,433 And for the first time last night, we saw that Trump himself said he was willing to 22 00:01:25,500 --> 00:01:28,533 use economic pressure. He wrote on TRUTH Social - - quote -- "If we don't make a deal, and soon, 23 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:35,100 I have no other choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on anything 24 00:01:37,133 --> 00:01:40,433 being sold by Russia to the United States and various other participating countries." 25 00:01:40,433 --> 00:01:44,100 Now, Russia doesn't sell very much to the U.S. anymore, Amna. But the bottom line is, 26 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:49,066 he is threatening or appears to be threatening the Russian economy. And the best way to do that is to 27 00:01:51,333 --> 00:01:55,233 attack the lifeblood of the Russian economy, and that is oil exports. The Biden administration only 28 00:01:57,233 --> 00:02:00,333 used that tool at the end because they were worried about raising gas prices. 29 00:02:00,333 --> 00:02:05,266 There is a lot of room for sanctions on Russian oil to expand. And Trump also said, 30 00:02:07,433 --> 00:02:11,200 as we have been talking about with David Wessel, that he wanted to see increased production of 31 00:02:13,466 --> 00:02:16,433 oil to lower prices, and that would reduce the revenue that Russia could use to fight in Ukraine. 32 00:02:18,133 --> 00:02:20,266 AMNA NAWAZ: Even if he can get to a cease-fire, previous cease-fires 33 00:02:20,266 --> 00:02:24,566 between Ukraine and Russia have been broken. How does the Trump team overcome that history? 34 00:02:24,566 --> 00:02:29,566 NICK SCHIFRIN: As part of any negotiation, Trump officials, including Secretary of State 35 00:02:31,666 --> 00:02:35,733 Marco Rubio, the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, have said that Ukraine needs a 36 00:02:37,933 --> 00:02:40,800 security guarantee moving forward politically, so that President Zelenskyy can actually sell 37 00:02:43,166 --> 00:02:46,266 any kind of deal to his people, but also to deter Russia from launching another war in the future. 38 00:02:48,233 --> 00:02:50,133 Now, what does that mean? That means some kind of long-term security assistance, 39 00:02:50,133 --> 00:02:53,100 actual weapons, presumably coming from the United States to Ukraine, 40 00:02:53,100 --> 00:02:58,066 but it also includes troops inside Ukraine to actually enforce any kind of cease-fire detail. 41 00:02:59,866 --> 00:03:02,433 And a senior official who's been working on Ukraine confirms to 42 00:03:02,433 --> 00:03:06,066 me that the Trump administration and European governments have been 43 00:03:06,066 --> 00:03:11,066 talking about sending European troops into Ukraine to try and enforce a cease-fire. 44 00:03:13,033 --> 00:03:15,533 They would not be NATO troops. They would be individual European troops to do that. 45 00:03:15,533 --> 00:03:19,633 Now, that's a long way from now, and there's a lot of doubt that Putin will 46 00:03:19,633 --> 00:03:24,633 accept any offer on the table, whether or not from Trump or Ukraine at all. Just today, 47 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,200 we heard from Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, saying -- quote -- "We remain 48 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:34,200 ready for mutually respectful dialogue. This dialogue was maintained between the 49 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:39,200 two presidents during Trump's first presidency. We are waiting for signals which have not come yet." 50 00:03:40,700 --> 00:03:43,600 So, Russia saying something, but clearly not playing their hand 51 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,766 as to whether they're really ready for peace yet. 52 00:03:45,766 --> 00:03:47,400 AMNA NAWAZ: Waiting for signals. We will see. 53 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:48,933 Nick Schifrin, thank you very much. 54 00:03:48,933 --> 00:03:49,433 NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.