The New American Realism
Trump has changed his approach to the war in Ukraine for the firrst time, putting maximum pressure on Putin.
U.S. President Donald Trump is reorienting his approach to the war in Ukraine, putting maximum pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, and not on his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Three recent incidents confirm this turn of events.
The first was the call between Trump and Zelenskyy on July 4. The informative and routine conversation took a significant turn when he asked the Ukrainian president, “Can you hit Moscow? Can you hit Saint Petersburg too?” According to The Financial Times, Zelenskyy responded, “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.” After this call was made public, Trump explained that he doesn’t support the bombing of the large cities in Russia; however, his questions to Zelenskyy remain in the collective imagination. I don’t believe in innocent conversations, and less so in politics. The fact that the dialogue was published in great detail means the White House wanted Russia to know its details.
The second event was the U.S.’ authorization for NATO to supply long-range weapons to Ukraine. After suspending the shipment of arms to Kyiv at the start of July, Trump promised on Monday to supply “top-of-the-line weapons […] to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do” against Russian air strikes. A deal which has become particularly significant after the call on July 4.
The U.S. will sell the arms to its NATO counterparts, who will then supply them to Kyiv. When asked by reporters if the deal included Patriot air defense batteries and missile interceptors, Trump responded, “Everything.” For his part, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte suggested that the military deal “is broader than Patriots.” He speculated that the U.S. could deliver Tomahawk or JASSM-ER missiles, whose range of 800-1,500 kilometers (approximately 500-900 miles) would put Moscow within striking distance of Ukraine. This represents a major step forward for Ukraine, as until now it had been denied this type of weaponry under the pretext that it would drag NATO into the conflict. It would appear that this fear has vanished. Ukraine will be able to expand its defense.
The third event was Trump’s diplomatic ultimatum to Putin. The U.S. president warned the head of the Kremlin that he would impose draconian tariffs on Russia, as well as “secondary” tariffs of 100% on his trade partners, if they don’t reach a peace agreement within 50 days. It’s unlikely that Trump will go through with this threat since it directly affects China and India, but the mere fact that it was made confirms a switch in the North American administration’s tone regarding the war in Europe. The U.S. president is fed up with Putin’s excuses and is becoming ever more eloquent. In an interview with Gary O’Donoghue, chief North America political correspondent for BBC News in Washington, [Trump] said that he didn’t consider his relationship with the Russian over, but he did admit to being “disappointed.” On as many as four occasions, Trump has announced a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine that hasn’t been carried out. After naively believing in a quick peace with Moscow, it appears that he’s come to his senses now. Fortunately for the Ukrainians and for Europe, Trump understands that the best way to bring Putin to the negotiating table is to arm Ukraine. Peace through force.
U.S. President Donald Trump is reorienting his approach to the war in Ukraine, putting maximum pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, and not on his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Three recent incidents confirm this turn of events.
The first was the call between Trump and Zelenskyy on July 4. The informative and routine conversation took a significant turn when he asked the Ukrainian president, “Can you hit Moscow? Can you hit Saint Petersburg too?” According to The Financial Times, Zelenskyy responded, “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.” After this call was made public, Trump explained that he doesn’t support the bombing of the large cities in Russia; however, his questions to Zelenskyy remain in the collective imagination. I don’t believe in innocent conversations, and less so in politics. The fact that the dialogue was published in great detail means the White House wanted Russia to know its details.
The second event was the U.S.’ authorization for NATO to supply long-range weapons to Ukraine. After suspending the shipment of arms to Kyiv at the start of July, Trump promised on Monday to supply “top-of-the-line weapons […] to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do” against Russian air strikes. A deal which has become particularly significant after the call on July 4.
The U.S. will sell the arms to its NATO counterparts, who will then supply them to Kyiv. When asked by reporters if the deal included Patriot air defense batteries and missile interceptors, Trump responded, “Everything.” For his part, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte suggested that the military deal “is broader than Patriots.” He speculated that the U.S. could deliver Tomahawk or JASSM-ER missiles, whose range of 800-1,500 kilometers (approximately 500-900 miles) would put Moscow within striking distance of Ukraine. This represents a major step forward for Ukraine, as until now it had been denied this type of weaponry under the pretext that it would drag NATO into the conflict. It would appear that this fear has vanished. Ukraine will be able to expand its defense.
The third event was Trump’s diplomatic ultimatum to Putin. The U.S. president warned the head of the Kremlin that he would impose draconian tariffs on Russia, as well as “secondary” tariffs of 100% on his trade partners, if they don’t reach a peace agreement within 50 days. It’s unlikely that Trump will go through with this threat since it directly affects China and India, but the mere fact that it was made confirms a switch in the North American administration’s tone regarding the war in Europe. The U.S. president is fed up with Putin’s excuses and is becoming ever more eloquent. In an interview with Gary O’Donoghue, chief North America political correspondent for BBC News in Washington, [Trump] said that he didn’t consider his relationship with the Russian over, but he did admit to being “disappointed.” On as many as four occasions, Trump has announced a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine that hasn’t been carried out. After naively believing in a quick peace with Moscow, it appears that he’s come to his senses now. Fortunately for the Ukrainians and for Europe, Trump understands that the best way to bring Putin to the negotiating table is to arm Ukraine. Peace through force.
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