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 navy tools. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Moscow has carried out tons of of assaults utilizing ballistic missiles and drones. For extra now we’re joined by Fiona Hill. She is a senior fellow at Brookings, and through 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 focusing on information for U.S. offered weapons like HIMARS, we additionally realize it extends to satellite tv for pc imagery, which is not being shared with Ukraine. What is the sensible influence of that and the navy freeze?

HILL: Effectively, I believe we will see the influence. It is actually, on the one hand, emboldened Russia to essentially step up the assaults. And it is also not simply blindsided, but additionally partially blinded Ukraine. I imply, we heard from the earlier phase that there is nonetheless some sharing with allies like the UK, in fact, which is a part of the 5 Eyes sharing with the USA. However frankly, not one of the different allies, together with the UK, have the identical entry to satellite tv for pc imagery as the USA does. So even when there’s some sharing, not a lot restrictions, there actually has an influence. And albeit, I believe it is going to 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 the USA. I imply, this can be a two approach road. We’ve to keep in mind that different nations additionally share fairly important data with the USA, even when the dimensions shouldn’t 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 undecided whether or not it is punishment, however it’ll be a variety of questioning about what really occurs with this, as a result of in case you’re bundling collectively intelligence, after which successfully, the USA is placing restrictions on that. Was that pre-discussed with our 5 Eyes allies, for instance, or with different allies? Significantly within the midst of, mainly, a battle that’s, as we have heard over and over, the most important land struggle in Europe since World Struggle II. I imply, that is actually unprecedented when it comes to the actions of the USA 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 immediately affected, all of our European allies which are immediately affected by this battle.

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

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DONALD TRUMP: I really suppose he is doing what anyone else would do. I believe he’s- I believe he needs to get it stopped and settled. And I believe he is hitting them more durable than- than he is been hitting them. And I believe most likely anyone in that place could 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 probably 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 really, 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 needed to make Ukraine capitulate. So, I imply, yeah, he referred to 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 already know, the resolute desk. I imply, I believe if that is what you may take away from this. He actively- that’s–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Consider the president when he says issues.

HILL: I believe it’s best to, yeah. I imply, he’s the president of the USA. And he made it crystal clear, I believe. And he sees, you already know, clearly, the Ukraine- Ukrainians, and he stated that within the oval workplace through the assembly with President Zelensky, that he sees them on the again foot, as shedding, and he is mainly telling them that they need to capitulate. Very clear.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You do not have the playing cards, was the road he saved 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 an announcement, evaluating our ally to a farm animal right here that wanted to be crushed. Do you suppose it was proper to say the Ukrainian authorities, although, was simply not getting it?

HILL: Effectively, what they weren’t getting is admittedly what President Trump needed immediately 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 offered to Ukraine over, you already know, successive administrations now, and mainly to signal a deal on uncommon earths minerals, after which mainly go away instantly after that. And clearly, President Zelenskyy did not actually get that message. And I believe there’s a vital aspect right here. In diplomacy, you actually ought to solely be talking in your native language. And I believe that there was- a variety 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 you might bear in mind, if all of us return and watch that, I watched it many instances simply to attempt to determine precisely the place issues had gone improper, and there have been a number of factors, however there was one level when President Zelenskyy mainly stated, look, you already know, we had offers with your- your earlier presidents, mainly with Obama and Biden, and President Trump instantly dismissed all of that. And mainly stated these offers weren’t definitely 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 observe all of this, as a result of, like the remainder of our allies, he really thinks that commitments made by the USA are supposed to carry over successive administrations. And what we discovered there, and what he discovered there, was, that’s not the case. You are primarily going to need to make a brand new dedication with President Trump. It is a private dedication, and that was what he was being informed, and he did not totally perceive. And I believe in future, when the Ukrainians are assembly with the People, 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 believe he is most likely obtained the message now, however he does not at all times perceive the nuances. And I’d additionally suppose that our aspect, on the USA’ aspect, may do with some interpretation as effectively, coming additionally from President Zelenskyy. So my recommendation to President Zelenskyy and to the crew 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 really requested that query, whose interpreter we used, and Common Kellogg could not reply the query.

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

HILL: Right.

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: Effectively, it does not imply that it is gone, however there is a little bit of, a type of a one sided try to rupture it right here on the a part of the USA. 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 effectively know, there have been many statements popping out of Germany, in addition to nations like Sweden, mainly asking whether or not the USA could possibly be trusted on nuclear weapons. And we’ve to keep in mind that Ukraine had nuclear weapons that it gave up.

MARGARET BRENNAN: They usually gave them up. 

HILL: That is right. 

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

HILL: Right.

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