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00:00And now for more on this, I can bring in George Tuning, who is executive director of the U.S.-Ukraine
00:05Veterans Bridge non-profit organization, which is devoted to fostering links between military
00:11veterans in the two countries.
00:15Good morning, George.
00:16Europeans have accused Donald Trump of going over the head of them and also of Ukraine
00:21in this phone call to Vladimir Putin.
00:23Is this a betrayal of Ukraine?
00:27Good morning and thank you for having me.
00:29You know, we believe all our partners should be at the table for this conversation.
00:33And it's really an opportunity to really think about what happens to the men and women that
00:39are fighting this war.
00:41We always knew that the war was going to end at some point.
00:45And now, as we collectively feel like that moment is getting closer, now is the time
00:50to think about what comes next.
00:52You know, the West has invested billions in Ukraine's defense, but a robust postwar reintegration
00:58plan is critical for a sustainable and free and democratic Ukraine.
01:04And is there a possibility that Donald Trump might change tack again, given how unpredictable
01:10he's known to be?
01:13Absolutely.
01:14That's always a possibility.
01:16I think the president understands what's at stake in Ukraine for the United States and
01:22for NATO.
01:24And, you know, as the United States, we've seen catastrophic failures before when we
01:29don't support our partners.
01:31And we don't believe that that's what President Trump wants for our nation or for his legacy.
01:36And what can Ukraine's European allies do to ensure that Ukraine has its say in these
01:41proposed talks?
01:46We believe by continuing the conversation, you know, I think there are many facets of
01:50these talks.
01:52And what we are focused on in particular are the men and women fighting and what happens
01:57to them when this ends.
01:59So as I said, it's a real opportunity to think about veterans, to invest in veterans and
02:05position them to be future leaders and entrepreneurs in a postwar Ukraine.
02:10Now, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hanks said yesterday that everything is on the table
02:15in these talks.
02:17What is that likely to entail?
02:20Well, for our work, that means we need to have started the conversation yesterday about
02:29the support programs and the support ecosystem for veterans.
02:34When the war ends, Ukraine will still have one of the largest militaries in Europe to
02:38deter future Russian aggression and to protect their borders.
02:44And a veteran support system is critical to maintaining a military that size and making
02:49sure that the veterans returning home to their communities are supported and cared for so
02:53they can directly contribute to any reconstruction or rebuilding plan that's proposed.
02:59The Ukrainian government is being very diplomatic and measured in its response to this phone
03:04call by Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin.
03:07They're obviously very wary of incurring the U.S. president's wrath.
03:12What do you think they're really thinking?
03:15Well, to be honest, you know, they take this seriously.
03:20They've been engaged in a war that stretched years now.
03:24And as I said, it was always going to end.
03:27And now they and other partners have to come together and figure out what that looks like
03:33and to really establish a foundation to also win the peace.
03:38What we focus on is the men and women that have fought this war coming home.
03:43They bring those scars and those challenges from the front lines and to really win the
03:48peace and ensure a future stable Ukraine and a secure Europe.
03:53We need to start those conversations to build that support system.
03:57Thank you very much for that, George Tuning, executive director of U.S.-Ukraine Veterans
04:01Bridge.