Gen. C.Q. Brown, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated on Friday that it would be “great” if Trump kept his campaign pledge to end the Russian war in Ukraine within 24 hours. Brown also warned of dangers if the United States and its allies stopped providing aid to Kyiv.
Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin asked Brown, who Trump appointed as chief of staff of the Air Force before President Joe Biden made him his top military adviser, to comment on the Republican candidate’s promise to swiftly mediate a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv while he was speaking at the Aspen Security Forum.
“It would be greatly appreciated if he could complete it within 24 hours,” Brown stated. “The fighting stops… ” once we return to a state of enhanced international safety.
Brown’s remarks echo growing concerns on both sides of the Atlantic about Trump’s intentions to withdraw the United States from its transatlantic alliances and to cut military aid to Ukraine, which has been fighting against Russia’s incursion for two years. As long as Trump’s European partners reach their defense expenditure commitments, his supporters say he will back Ukraine as president.
Following the statements of Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Brown cautioned that “Putin would win” if the United States and Europe abruptly withdrew their support for Ukraine. Also, that would send the wrong message to countries around the world, he said.
Our reputation is on the line… If the United States and NATO withdraw, the West as a whole will be affected. He went on to say that this paves the way for leaders like Xi Jinping of China to engage in hostilities without provocation.
“It’s crucial that we maintain our support for Ukraine to prevent it from becoming embroiled in a wider conflict,” he emphasized. We need tough leaders.
People also wanted to know Brown’s thoughts on Biden’s intelligence while she was there.
“The president has always been engaged whenever I’ve engaged with him,” he stated. “He’s made decisions and then asked us pointed questions, so I guess I’ll just leave it at that.”