Former US President Donald Trump has come under attacks after seemingly conceding that he deliberately prioritized a multitrillion-dollar business tour of the Middle East over diplomatic initiatives to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end. In a live interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, Trump candidly explained his move to go on a high-risk three-country tour in the Gulf in lieu of participating in the Istanbul peace summit, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky showed up but Russian President Vladimir Putin did not.
“I Made 12 Times the Money”
On Friday night’s Fox News, Baier asked Trump why he didn’t take part in the peace talks in Turkey. Trump dismissed the relevance of the summit as saying that “I would not have wanted to disappoint UAE,” and redirected to touting the economic results of his visit.
I can come up with the money on one trip like this. Consider it — this trip, I made 12 times the amount of money that we’re discussing. I made that money over a couple of days,” Trump stated.
In four days, I made 12 times what we spent in Ukraine.
When Baier tried to turn the discussion around by telling Trump that the problem was “not about the money” but about “pressuring Putin,” Trump cut him off, doubling down on the economic success of his Middle East tour.
Outrage Over Human Cost
Critics say Trump’s remarks suggest he knowingly put profit ahead of possible progress toward halting a war that has murdered tens of thousands of civilians and displaced millions more. On social media and political websites, critics were quick to fire back, accusing the former president of placing American financial interests — and his own — ahead of international humanitarian interests.
Critics also commented that Trump’s words oversimplified the role of foreign diplomacy and indicated a discomfiting attitude toward foreign policy as a zero-sum monetary calculation. Human rights campaigners and foreign policy experts cautioned that the former president’s words constitute a harmful signal about the role of the U.S. in resolving conflict.
Skipped Peace, Fuelled War?
Though Trump’s attendance at the Istanbul summit could not possibly ensure a breakthrough between Russia and Ukraine, with some analysts contending that his absence permitted the diplomatic initiative to limp along. The talks concluded without a ceasefire deal, and through sources quoted by Sky News and The Express, the U.S., Russia showed no inclination to make concessions.
Trump justified his move by stating, “I always felt there can’t be a meeting without me because I don’t think a deal is going to get through.” He also intimated that only an in-person meeting between himself and Putin would yield any substantial progress.
Ukrainian President Zelensky, on the other hand, gave a clear statement indicating that “pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war,” deeming Moscow’s ongoing aggression “unacceptable.”
Political and Ethical Fallout
The implications of what Trump said go beyond foreign policy. They pose ethical questions about how future American leaders might balance financial gain against global obligations. For critics, the notion that the president of the United States would avoid peace talks to make deals — trillions worth of them, perhaps — is deeply concerning.
As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, Trump’s words are bound to become a topic of discussion among both political adversaries and the observation community. The episode has also highlighted the larger discussion about America’s role in the world — as a peacemaker, a power broker, or an entrepreneur.
Conclusion
Donald Trump’s admission that he placed a profit-making tour ahead of attending a peace summit has triggered heated controversy surrounding ethics, diplomacy, and the priorities of the president. Regardless of whether his assertions were hyped or not, what struck many was clear: in Trump’s book, dollars can be more important than diplomacy — and a perception that could remake both his legacy and future political aspirations.
