Former President Joe Biden has criticised his successor’s approach to Ukraine in his first post-presidency broadcast interview.
Speaking to the BBC, Biden argued that President Donald Trump’s insistence that Ukraine end its war with Russia amounts to “modern‑day appeasement.”
He warned that yielding to Russian aggression in this way would undermine the rules‑based international order established after World War Two.
This conversation marked Biden’s first sit‑down since leaving the White House in January.
During the interview, he also reflected on the upcoming 80th anniversary of VE Day.
He emphasised the significance of that moment in history and the lessons it holds for today’s transatlantic alliance.
Biden told Radio 4’s Today programme that he fears the US Europe relationship could fray if the West appears to back down in the face of authoritarian threats.
He went on to discuss his own decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential primary late in the campaign.
By stepping aside when he did, Biden said, he ensured a clear path for then–Vice President Kamala Harris to contest the election.
He insisted that the timing of his withdrawal would have made little difference, were he to have chosen an earlier exit.
