Transcript: Fiona Hill on

The next is the transcript of an interview with Fiona Hill, former White Home Russia skilled, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on March 9, 2025.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Russia stepped up its aerial assaults on Ukraine following the Trump administration’s suspension of intelligence sharing and army gear. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Moscow has carried out a whole bunch of assaults utilizing ballistic missiles and drones. For extra now we’re joined by Fiona Hill. She is a senior fellow at Brookings, and in the course of the first Trump administration, she was the senior director for European and Russian affairs on the Nationwide Safety Council. Good to have you ever again. 

FIONA HILL: Thanks, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, the U.S. pauses of deadly intelligence sharing, together with concentrating on information for U.S. supplied weapons like HIMARS, we additionally understand it extends to satellite tv for pc imagery, which is not being shared with Ukraine. What is the sensible affect of that and the army freeze?

HILL: Nicely, I feel we will see the affect. It is definitely, on the one hand, emboldened Russia to actually step up the assaults. And it is also not simply blindsided, but additionally partially blinded Ukraine. I imply, we heard from the earlier section that there is nonetheless some sharing with allies like the UK, in fact, which is a part of the 5 Eyes sharing with america. However frankly, not one of the different allies, together with the UK, have the identical entry to satellite tv for pc imagery as america does. So even when there’s some sharing, not a lot restrictions, there definitely has an affect. And admittedly, I feel it will be an impetus to different allies to begin stepping up their very own capabilities and questioning themselves in regards to the virtues of sharing with america. I imply, this can be a two approach road. We have now to keep in mind that different international locations additionally share fairly important data with america, even when the dimensions will not be fairly the identical.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Canada, the UK, Australia, amongst those that achieve this. You suppose they may primarily punish the U.S. by not sharing intelligence?

HILL: I am unsure whether or not it is punishment, nevertheless it’ll be a whole lot of questioning about what truly occurs with this, as a result of in the event you’re bundling collectively intelligence, after which successfully, america is placing restrictions on that. Was that pre-discussed with our 5 Eyes allies, for instance, or with different allies? Notably within the midst of, principally, a battle that’s, as we have heard over and over, the biggest land struggle in Europe since World Battle II. I imply, that is actually unprecedented when it comes to the actions of america on this regard, as a result of it isn’t simply affecting Ukraine. Once more, it is having knock on results for all of our different allies who’re straight affected, all of our European allies which are straight affected by this battle.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, President Trump stated on Friday, when he was requested if this uptick in Putin’s bombing was straight associated to the U.S. halt, here is what he stated.

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DONALD TRUMP: I truly suppose he is doing what anyone else would do. I feel he’s- I feel he desires to get it stopped and settled. And I feel he is hitting them tougher than- than he is been hitting them. And I feel most likely anyone in that place can be doing that proper now.

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MARGARET BRENNAN: But earlier within the day, the president had posted on social media he was contemplating presumably placing sanctions on Russia. That is a contradiction. What do you make of what he stated?

FIONA HILL: I make of it precisely what he stated. I imply, he is truly, clearly, placing himself within the sneakers of Vladimir Putin and saying that if I have been the aggressor, that is precisely what I’d be doing if I wished to make Ukraine capitulate. So, I imply, yeah, he known as it as it’s. I do not imagine what he stated for a second in regards to the sanctions. I imagine extra what he simply stated there within the Oval Workplace, sitting behind, you understand, the resolute desk. I imply, I feel if that is what you possibly can take away from this. He actively- that’s–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Consider the president when he says issues.

HILL: I feel you need to, yeah. I imply, he’s the president of america. And he made it crystal clear, I feel. And he sees, you understand, clearly, the Ukraine- Ukrainians, and he stated that within the oval workplace in the course of the assembly with President Zelensky, that he sees them on the again foot, as dropping, and he is principally telling them that they must capitulate. Very clear.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You do not have the playing cards, was the road he stored utilizing then.

HILL: That is proper.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So I do know you have been on the Council on International Relations this week, as was I. I had an interview with Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and once we have been discussing the president’s determination to chop off Ukraine. He stated, Ukrainians introduced it on themselves, and the choice was like, quote, “hitting a mule with a two by 4 throughout the nostril. You bought their consideration.” It is fairly a press release, evaluating our ally to a farm animal right here that wanted to be overwhelmed. Do you suppose it was proper to say the Ukrainian authorities, although, was simply not getting it?

HILL: Nicely, what they weren’t getting is admittedly what President Trump wished straight from them, which was clearly to have President Zelenskyy make a private settlement with him within the Oval Workplace, in entrance of all of the cameras, to thank him profusely for all the help that was already supplied to Ukraine over, you understand, successive administrations now, and principally to signal a deal on uncommon earths minerals, after which principally go away instantly after that. And clearly, President Zelenskyy did not actually get that message. And I feel there’s an important ingredient right here. In diplomacy, you actually ought to solely be talking in your native language. And I feel that there was- a whole lot of this was misplaced in translation. To start with, President Zelenskyy did not totally perceive that this settlement was simply purely with President Trump. And chances are you’ll keep in mind, if all of us return and watch that, I watched it many occasions simply to strive to determine precisely the place issues had gone incorrect, and there have been a number of factors, however there was one level when President Zelenskyy principally stated, look, you understand, we had offers with your- your earlier presidents, principally with Obama and Biden, and President Trump instantly dismissed all of that. And principally stated these offers weren’t well worth the paper they have been written on, all of the commitments that have been made– 

MARGARET BRENNAN: As a result of it isn’t me.

HILL: –because they have been weak and it wasn’t me. And President Zelenskyy did not fairly comply with all of this, as a result of, like the remainder of our allies, he truly thinks that commitments made by america are supposed to carry over successive administrations. And what we realized there, and what he realized there, was, that’s not the case. You are primarily going to must make a brand new dedication with President Trump. It is a private dedication, and that was what he was being advised, and he did not totally perceive. And I feel in future, when the Ukrainians are assembly with the Individuals, they should have translators with them, as a result of nearly as good as President Zelenskyy’s English is, there’s two issues that he is lacking there. He does not fairly perceive the best way that President Trump operates, though I feel he is most likely received the message now, however he does not at all times perceive the nuances. And I’d additionally suppose that our aspect, on america’ aspect, might do with some interpretation as nicely, coming additionally from President Zelenskyy. So my recommendation to President Zelenskyy and to the workforce round President Trump is, use interpreters. That is what they’re there for. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: And your individual authorities’s interpreters. 

FIONA HILL: That is completely proper. Your individual authorities’s interpreters, not- since you truly requested that query, whose interpreter we used, and Normal Kellogg could not reply the query.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper, for Steve Witkoff, who met with Putin for 3 and a half hours. 

HILL: Appropriate.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Europe appears to be taking these threats significantly and a substitute for the American nuclear deterrent and umbrella. That is- does that imply the Transatlantic Alliance is gone? 

FIONA HILL: Nicely, it does not imply that it is gone, however there is a little bit of, a type of a one sided try and rupture it right here on the a part of america. I used to be additionally on the Munich Safety Convention. I heard Vice President Vance’s speech. I used to be standing subsequent to a few very outstanding Europeans who have been utterly in shock. And instantly after that, as you nicely know, there have been many statements popping out of Germany, in addition to international locations like Sweden, principally asking whether or not america could possibly be trusted on nuclear weapons. And we have now to keep in mind that Ukraine had nuclear weapons that it gave up.

MARGARET BRENNAN: They usually gave them up. 

HILL: That is appropriate. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: With the promise of the safety assure that was not delivered on.

HILL: Appropriate.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Fiona Hill. Thanks. We’ll be again.