Joe Biden told the BBC that the Trump administration’s pressure to abandon territory for Russia in Ukraine is “modern appropriation”, his first interview since leaving the White House.

Speaking in Delaware on Monday, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin believed Ukraine was part of Russia and that "anyone he would stop if a certain territory was recognized as part of a peace agreement" was foolish.

Biden said this week, when Allied Nations commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day he was concerned about the split US-European relations under President Donald Trump, saying he “will change the modern history of the world.”

In an extensive interview with the BBC Radio 4 Today program, Biden was challenged by his record in Ukraine and his decision to end his 2024 reelection campaign in late in the game after stumbling blocks on debate performances ignited concerns about his health and put the Democrats in crisis.

Biden left the game less than four months before the November election and said, "I don't think it's important. We left when we have a good candidate."

"Things move so fast that it's hard to get away. It's a tough decision," he said. "I think it's the right decision. I think … it's just a tough decision."

When asked about the treatment of the current administration for U.S. allies, the former president condemned Trump's call for the United States to retake the Panama Canal, acquire Greenland and make Canada the 51st state.

"What the hell is going on here? What president is talking about? That's not who we are." "We're about freedom, democracy, opportunity, not about confiscation."

In Ukraine, Biden has provided enough support for Kyiv to ensure they can win the war, rather than just resisting a full-scale Russian invasion. During the three years of fighting, his White House shifted its stance on the use of the United States for the use of weapons and lifted some restrictions over time.

"We gave them everything they need for independence and if Putin moves again, we are ready to respond more actively."

Biden also asked about comments from the Trump administration, suggesting that Kiev must abandon some territory to secure a peace agreement to end the battle.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance recently formulated a U.S. vision for Ukraine’s peace plan, saying it would “freeze the territorial line… close to where they are today.”

He said Ukraine and Russia "will have to give up some of the territory they currently own." Defense Minister Pete Hegseth responded to the message, saying it was “unrealistic” to return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders.

Biden said on Monday: "This is the rage of modern apps.

He also expressed concern that “Europe will lose confidence in the certainty of the United States and the U.S. leadership.”

He added that the African continent's leaders "want to know, what should I do now? ... Can I rely on the United States? Will they be there?"

Trump said he expected Russia to retain the Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014, and last month he accused Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky of damaging peace talks when Zelensky rejected the proposal.

Reports show that the recent proposals proposed by the United States on a truce settlement include not only the U.S. recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, but in fact, the U.S. approval of Russia's control over other occupied areas of Ukraine. The White House has not publicly confirmed the details.

"I don't have favorites. I don't want any favorites. I want to reach an agreement," Trump said last month when he was asked about his recognition of Crimea's Russian sovereignty.

"Yes,[Ukrainians]are angry," VP Vance told Fox News last week. "But will we continue to lose thousands of soldiers on miles of territory?"

The pressure to cede land is not only from Washington, but Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko told the BBC last month that Ukraine may have to temporarily give up its territory.

"I just don't understand how people think that if we allow the dictator, the thug decides that he will take not enough to satisfy most of his land. I don't know much."

He also said he was worried that some countries in the NATO alliance, Russia might "only say we have to give up our land in Ukraine," and "only say we have to build accommodation."

Trump has long resisted Biden's level of U.S. military support for Ukraine, believing his ultimate goal is to end the bloodshed. He had previously said that Zelensky played Biden "like a violin".

Tensions between the White House and Ukrainian leaders broke out in February when Trump and Vance accused Zelensky and asked him to thank the United States for years of support during an extraordinary televised conference held in the Oval Office.

"I found it happening in the way that it happened under the United States," Biden said of the meeting.

Trump and his senior officials have repeatedly criticized European countries for their inadequate defense and are too dependent on U.S. support.

According to the Kiel Institute in Germany, the United States is partly the largest single donor in Ukraine, but the total donors in European countries spend more money.

"I don't understand how they don't understand the power of the league," Biden said of the Trump administration on Monday. "There are benefits … it saves us money in general."

Asked about the first 100 days of President Trump’s presidency, the whirlwind of the executive action and cuts in size and spending cuts in the federal government, Biden touted his record and tried to create a stark contrast between his departure from office and now.

"Our economy is growing. We are moving towards the rising stock market. We are in a positive way to expand our influence around the world and increase trade." He talked about the state of the country when he left the White House in January.

Meanwhile, Trump said he is pushing for necessary overhauls of the world's relations with the United States, rebalancing trade, controlling illegal immigration and improving the efficiency of the government. Last week, he celebrated the 100-day milestone with a victory speech. What is Biden's role in the beginning of Trump 2.0?

"I will let history judge," he said. "I can't see anything that wins."

Other reports Kirsty Mackenzie and Gareth Evans