A Dangerous Bromance Is Back
It’s already a win-win for the Russian president
The blitzkrieg of orders and directives coming from the White House is head-spinning. It is meant to stun us into stupefaction and distract us from all the norm-annihilating things Donald Trump is doing.
Most of us, Steady included, have focused on the barrage of domestic changes being forced upon us. Today we broaden our viewpoint, because our national security depends on all of us paying attention internationally.
Russia is back in the picture, and the security of Ukraine, all of Europe, and even the United States is more tenuous today than it was yesterday.
After a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Trump announced that to end the Russia-Ukraine war, they would “start negotiations immediately.” And that they would “work together, very closely.” The “they” apparently doesn’t include the country that was attacked and that has lost 70,000 troops. This will be a Trump-Putin deal.
One phone call and years of security policies and practices are suddenly up in smoke. What shouldn’t get lost in the outrageousness of Trump’s actions is the sequence of events. All of it boils down to several wins for the Russian dictator.
First, Trump did not reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially. He spoke with Putin, then called Zelenskyy to inform him of what had been discussed and decided.
At the same time, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, meeting with our European allies, told them that Ukrainian territories taken by the Russians would not be returned. Ukraine had no knowledge of this scheme. Hegseth also ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine. There are 31 other countries in NATO who have a say regarding membership. Finally, Hegseth said there will be no U.S. troops as part of a post-war peacekeeping force. The champagne corks must be popping at the Kremlin with all of these “concessions.”
So the country that was invaded by Russia and has managed to hold off barrage after Russian barrage for more than three years was not invited to the table. They weren’t allowed in the room or even told the meeting was happening. It is important to note that it was a Biden administration policy never to speak with Russia without Ukraine present.
Trump said Wednesday that the war “was not a good thing to get into” for Ukraine, as if they had a choice. Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukraine has defended itself courageously. Facts are fiction for this president.
It is safe to say European leaders were stunned by this week’s developments. Ukraine is their neighbor and their ally. They too are being sidelined from this “negotiation.”
The Center for American Progress, a Washington policy institute, summed it up well: “Trump has given the upper hand to Putin, a dictator and alleged war criminal. He has given Russia free rein to decide Ukraine’s future, jeopardizing Ukrainian sovereignty, security, and prosperity. This isn’t just about being a bad partner to our European allies; it’s a critical national security failure. A stronger Russia is a bad deal for Ukrainians, it’s a bad deal for Europeans, and it’s a bad deal for Americans who want to deter future Russian aggression against U.S. allies.”
No doubt this is just the beginning of Trump’s renewed bromance with Putin. We won’t take bets on how long before sanctions against the Kremlin are dropped. Withdrawing more if not all U.S. troops from Europe may also be on the horizon.
Trump is demanding that NATO members spend more on defense. He wants each country to commit to 5% of GDP. That’s more than double what is required now.
Meanwhile, Putin has made no secret of the fact that he has designs on the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Poland should be nervous. If and when Russian makes a move, would any American help in resisting be expected?
And our European friends aren’t the only nations being put on notice. Making Canada the 51st state. Taking over Greenland. Reclaiming the Panama Canal. Disrespecting Colombia. Imposing tariffs on Mexico. Remember, these countries are our allies.
Trump is attacking long-held democratic alliances that have made the U.S. and the world safer. So what’s the endgame? We live in a global economy. We thrive only with healthy and safe global partners.
A friend recently wrote me a note that was spot on: He said Trump’s compromising those relationships, from “within” the seat of U.S. power, weakens the very fabric of liberal democracy on a global scale. That’s yet another win for Putin. And it’s exactly what Putin would want, if he had any direct influence over the president.
If.
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Dan
Why do we think it ever ended? And Musk has been in regular communication with Putin, which should put a chill on the world itself.
The Russians had the Champagne icing from November 5th. Time to tell Thune, McConnell, and Johnson to shape up and grow a backbone. There are three branches of government, not one.