Critics Of Trump’s Ukraine-Russia Peace Effort Have Been ‘Wrong’ For Decades, GOP Senator Says

The biggest critics of President Donald Trump’s efforts to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia have been “wrong” on foreign policy for decades, according to Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO).

During an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Schmitt delivered a retort after being pressed to respond to critiques from his colleagues across the aisle following Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week.

Sen. @Eric_Schmitt: The people who are most critical of @POTUS‘ pursuit of peace “have been wrong, for the last 30 years, about every single foreign policy issue under the sun.” pic.twitter.com/JMkr8ljDEy

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 17, 2025

“The people who are most critical have been wrong for the last 30 years about every single foreign policy issue under the sun,” Schmitt told anchor Shannon Bream.

As an example, Schmitt took aim at Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser under former President Joe Biden who had also been interviewed on the program on Sunday.

“I mean, you just had Jake Sullivan on,” Schmitt said. “Jake Sullivan just presided over, in the last four years, the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia that he’s now critical about President Trump.”

Sullivan also bragged in October 2023 about the Middle East region being “quieter” than it had been in two decades — just days before Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel.

“So, these Wilsonian adventurers who think America can be everywhere all at once all the time have been wrong about everything,” Schmitt said.

Democrats have argued that Trump is being played by Putin, but Schmitt rejected the idea that a peace agreement is not attainable just because the Alaska meeting did not immediately end the conflict.

“I look at this from a realistic point of view,” he said. “The diplomacy that President Trump is engaging in, which has been very successful since he took office, is about engaging people that, you know, maybe aren’t your best friends in the world, but you’re trying to get to a peace deal. That’s exactly what this was.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders are expected to huddle with Trump at the White House on Monday. Another meeting with Putin could follow.

“It’s going to take time,” Schmitt said. “So, that meeting led to the next meeting, which is going to happen on Monday, which will likely lead to the next meeting. That’s how that typically works. I think for some people so used to the 24-hour news cycle, maybe that isn’t fast enough, but that’s how the real-world works.”

Schmitt contended Trump is trying to be a uniter, unlike Biden.

“We just didn’t see that the last four years. Joe Biden was out to lunch and his only plan was to send $200 billion of American taxpayer funds over there without a plan,” he said. “And so President Trump, I think, is seeking peace. He’s bringing the parties together. And that’s what diplomacy is all about. That should always be our first option, and that’s where we’re at right now.”