Guy Benson asks why Trump would object to Ukrainian disrespect for "the butchers of Moscow"
Guy BensonHost of The Guy Benson Show on Fox News Radio, interviewing Michael McFaul
On his Fox News Radio show, Benson says he does not understand why Trump would object to Ukrainians disrespecting the Russians who invaded them, and that disrespect is the least they should feel.
“I don’t understand why anyone, let alone the President of the United States, and I think some of his policies on Russia have been very good, not always, but why would he object to perceived disrespect by the Ukrainians for their invaders, tormentors, the butchers of Moscow? I feel like disrespect is kind of the very least they should harbor. For the Russians.”
Interview
Where this statement fits
Trump says Ukraine will "end up with a little bit different shape" after the war and the U.S. "got nothing" for its weapons; the Kremlin agrees, and Zelenskyy rejects ceding land
In an interview with Ross Douthat broadcast on CBS's 60 Minutes on November 8, 2026, President Donald Trump said the United States had supplied Ukraine with "the best weapons on Earth" and "got nothing for it." When Douthat said the United States got Ukrainian independence, Trump said it had not gotten that yet. Asked whether he expected a free and independent Ukraine, he said a deal would happen and Ukraine would "end up with a little bit different shape." He also said that when Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy first met, "there was great disrespect shown to Russia." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine is already a different country in terms of geography. Zelenskyy told Danish broadcaster DR that he did not know what Trump meant and was not ready for that kind of surprise, and argued that ceding Donbas would not stop Putin. Retired Adm. James Stavridis said the remark sounded ominous and pointed to a land-for-peace deal. Michael McFaul, Guy Benson and David Sanger criticized the remark about disrespect to Russia.
Source and context
Interview
About this source
Fox News Radio page with the audio and full transcript of Guy Benson's November 9, 2026 interview with Michael McFaul, which opens with the 60 Minutes clip in which Trump says disrespect was shown to Russia.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Benson opened the interview by playing the 60 Minutes exchange in which Douthat asks whether Zelenskyy's hatred is more understandable because his country was invaded, and Trump answers that there was great disrespect shown to Russia at their first meeting.
After the quotation
McFaul replies that he agrees. Later in the interview, Benson says he understands talking to authoritarians in a conciliatory way as long as the United States is tough at the negotiating table.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Benson objects to Trump's complaint that disrespect was shown to Russia, saying it is the least Ukrainians should feel toward their invaders. He praises some of Trump's Russia policies but criticizes this remark.
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- Donald Trump
More from this case
Read the full caseZelenskyy says ceding Ukrainian land for peace is "just abstract words" and Putin would come back
“Ceding Ukrainian land for peace is just abstract words. It’s not only about reality, even more about philosophy. Putin was talking about Donbas, but then he decided to occupy Kyiv, our capital. ... Nobody trusts Putin to stop if we leave Donbas. He will pause. Then he will come back in one year, two years, or five years.”Read statement
David Sanger says Trump has "gone out of his way to excuse or diminish what Russia has done"
“the President has gone out of his way to excuse or diminish what Russia has done. You notice there that he didn't jump in and say, yes, Russia invaded Ukraine and violated their sovereignty. And there's something of an imbalance between somebody invading your country and you being rude to them when you meet them for the first time after they've invaded your country, right?”Read statement
James Stavridis says Trump's remark on Ukraine's shape "sounds ominous" and points to a land-for-peace deal he hates
“Well, it sounds ominous. What it probably portends is the 20 percent, roughly, of Ukraine that Putin is currently in control of, the eastern slice that connects Crimea up to the Rodina, the motherland, as the Russians say, about 20 percent. It's kind of a trade land for peace deal, if you will. Certainly, Zelenskyy will hate that deal. I hate that deal. We all should hate that deal.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Guy Benson asks why Trump would object to Ukrainian disrespect for "the butchers of Moscow"". First published: 2026-11-15. Last updated: 2026-11-15. https://disputeindex.com/events/9025-on-his-fox-news-radio-show-benson-says