A former national security adviser to Donald Trump has cautioned that the U.S. president’s proposed deal to end the war in Ukraine “comes pretty close to surrender” to Vladimir Putin’s objectives and could ultimately result in the U.S. withdrawing from NATO.
Bolton: Trump’s Deal Weakens Ukraine and Europe
John Bolton, who served under Trump from 2018 to 2019, warned that a hasty end to the Ukraine war could pave the way for the U.S. to exit NATO. Speaking on POLITICO’s Power Play podcast, he criticized Trump’s proposal, stating that it would undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and European security.
“I thought Trump would withdraw from NATO and he hasn’t done that yet, but you can hear the music begin to play,” Bolton said. “There’d be a cease-fire, a militarized zone, and Ukraine would be forced to agree not to join NATO—which is a settlement that could have been written in the Kremlin.”
Concerns Over European Leaders’ Reactions
As European leaders scrambled to respond to Trump’s proposed agreement with Putin, Bolton warned that figures such as U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer risked making misguided decisions by assuming the deal was inevitable.
Asked about Starmer’s willingness to send British troops to Ukraine to enforce a cease-fire, Bolton was dismissive.
“I’m against deploying a peacekeeping force,” he said. “History shows that once deployed, such forces often become permanent, effectively partitioning Ukraine.”
Bolton further questioned the role of peacekeepers: “Would they enforce a cease-fire with force? Or act like a U.N. peace force that simply observes violations? These are critical distinctions, and European leaders don’t seem to have clarity on them.”
Bolton Advocates Military Support Over Negotiations
Bolton argued that Europe should strengthen Ukraine’s military instead of preparing for a Trump-Putin deal that could cement Russia’s territorial gains.
“There’s no obligation to negotiate a cease-fire,” he said. “Unless you’re willing to abandon Ukraine’s chance of reclaiming its territory, freezing the current lines of conflict is dangerous.”
European Unity in Question
French President Emmanuel Macron recently led talks on forming a unified European stance regarding the Trump-Putin plan. However, Bolton questioned whether Europe could act as a united front.
“NATO had a common position until February 11, when Trump and Putin spoke. Now, we don’t know where the U.S. stands on NATO’s official position,” he said. “But individual European nations still hold power. They provide military aid to Ukraine, unlike the European Union as an institution.”
The Role of Marco Rubio in U.S. Foreign Policy
When asked if anything could change Trump’s stance, Bolton suggested that European leaders engage with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to prevent further damage.
“He doesn’t do policy in the traditional sense,” Bolton said about Trump. “So working with figures like Marco Rubio or national security adviser Mike Waltz—instead of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—could make a difference.”
Bolton recalled that Rubio had previously co-sponsored legislation with Democratic Senator Tim Kaine to prevent a U.S. president from withdrawing from NATO without congressional approval.
“It showed Rubio as a defender of NATO,” Bolton noted. “So maybe he doesn’t believe that anymore—I don’t know. But it’s worth testing.”
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