Trump's people already telling the Ukrainians they'll have to give up territory permanently, and probably also abandon any plans to join the European Union or NATO, all for some illusory "peace" that will have Russia try to take 100% of Ukraine in the not-so-distant future. And they're doing so in the most condescending manner possible, with this one, saying President Zelensky is the unserious one.

Source:BBC

A former adviser to President-elect Donald Trump says the incoming administration will focus on achieving peace in Ukraine rather than enabling the country to gain back territory occupied by Russia.

Bryan Lanza, who worked on Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, told the BBC the incoming administration would ask Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his version of a "realistic vision for peace".

"And if President Zelensky comes to the table and says, well we can only have peace if we have Crimea, he shows to us that he's not serious," he said. "Crimea is gone."

A spokesperson for Trump distanced the incoming president from the remarks, saying Mr Lanza "does not speak for him".

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Eight years later, it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has occupied territory in the country's east.

The president-elect has consistently said his priority is to end the war and stem what he characterises as a drain on US resources, in the form of military aid to Ukraine.

Reuters has a bit more detail from the Trump transition team and their denial.

Responding to Lanza's comments, a spokesperson for the transition denied that Lanza spoke for Trump. Trump's transition effort is currently vetting personnel and drafting the policies that Trump could adopt during his second term.

"Bryan Lanza was a contractor for the campaign," said the spokesperson, who declined to be named. "He does not work for President Trump and does not speak for him."

During the election campaign, Trump said he would find a solution to end the war "within a day," but did not explain how he would do so.

Oddly enough though, in 2017 Bryan Lanza was the communications director for the Trump transition team. He also worked on the 2020 and 2024 Trump campaigns. He has also made numerous media appearances on behalf of the Trump campaign, including this one on CBS News a couple of days before election.

"Lanza? Never heard of him."