Summary
Donald Trump dodged questions about whether U.S. foreign policy aligns with Russia, deflecting with a rambling response that avoided addressing concerns about his stance on Ukraine.
He again claimed that he could quickly end the war and blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for suggesting peace remains distant.
Meanwhile, his administration is reportedly preparing to lift sanctions on Russian individuals and entities.
Critics argue Trump’s position emboldens Russia while undermining Ukraine, raising fears about U.S. commitment to countering Russian aggression.
Interesting comments.
I think some of the interviews he did in the first term hurt him like the Axios one.
I’m hoping that as he continues to mentally slip, which is clear when you go back and watch campaign video even from 2016, he’s going to say something so nasty and inexcusable that the non-cultists will be upset and take action. Or it will become very clear - like it did with Biden - that he’s so far gone. Trump just hides it better for now under stimulants, anger, and unpredictability.
It’s a long shot but they have to keep trying. Or else what is there? Roll over and let him declare himself president for life without much of a fight?
If you want to oppose Trump, interview the opposition. There are plenty in the Ukranian ex-pat community willing to lend a word, especially people with homes currently under Russian occupation who will have nowhere to return to if Trump signs away the Donbas or forces Zelenskyy into grand new bulk real estate privatization schemes that foreclose on all the public apartments and offices and industries still in western control. Some of the most powerful advocates for Gaza have been American refugees forced out of Palestine (the TV show Mo, for instance, has provided a very stark spotlight on the life of stateless Palestinians).
You could also go to European delegates and discuss how people much closer to the front lines would like to see the Ukraine/Russia war end. You could reach out to American diplomats who predate the Trump inauguration, including ones he’s fired, and describe how he’s shifted the direction of foreign policy since taking office. Hell, you could even reach out to a few Russian diplomats to get them on record with what they’re actually demanding, rather than going to Trump and asking him whether he thinks he’s giving Moscow too much.
Talk to academics with more foreign policy experience. Talk to international trade reps who recognize what these sanctions mean for trade and travel through the region. Talk to people living in the Crimea or South Ossetia or Chechnya to see what a prolonged Russian occupation looks like.
You could talk to people who are working towards a different outcome - civil groups in the US lobbying for Zelenskyy to continue fighting, NGOs invested in a different peace plan, Russian and Ukrainian ex-pats who are surviving off the front lines or are fleeing conscription or who have family fighting or lost in the conflict.
Then maybe even highlight how readers can contribute to efforts to provide relief or buttress support or just reach out and learn more from the organizations doing this various lobbying efforts. Describe American-based organizations that are housing refugees or working towards long term resettlement. Give readers an opportunity to engage with the news rather than just passively observing it.
So many people to talk to who aren’t Trump. All of them would provide more useful information to describe the state of the war and the consequences of the new policies.