Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said President Trump is helping to achieve former Soviet Union dictator Joseph Stalin’s dream with his recent actions surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war.
Emanuel joined Tuesday’s “Hooks on Tap” podcast with Democratic strategists David Axelrod and Mike Murphy to discuss Trump’s handling of peace talks and the concern spreading through Europe as he blames the war on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Murphy argued that Russians are currently doing “funny dances” because they are happy that Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in negotiations with Russia while Ukraine was largely sidelined in recent days.
“Their number one goal since the … second World War is to split up NATO and screw up the Atlantic alliance, which of course Trump is a huge asset for,” Murphy said.
Emanuel interjected and agreed with Murphy.
“Since Joseph Stalin, that has been the singular goal, and an American president achieved Joseph Stalin’s wet dream,” he said.
Murphy argued that the Trump administration is serving “every Russian foreign policy goal” by giving them bilateral negotiations without conceding anything.
“If I were the Europeans, I’d say ‘Great, we’re coming. We’re going to go sit [at] that negotiation,’” Emanuel said. “Because they need to get at the table because the United States’ team needs adult supervision.”
Trump on Tuesday blamed Zelensky for the war, saying it never would have started if he had been president for the last four years. Trump campaigned on ending the war and has indicated reaching a deal with Russia is a high priority, arguing the death toll cannot be allowed to rise.
But his administration’s actions have unnerved some leaders in Western Europe, in addition to Zelensky, because they have sidelined Ukraine from the talks — which could involve a deal in which Kyiv would be asked to give up land now occupied by Russia.
GOP senators have also been wary of the war of words this week between Trump and Zelensky.
