Ukraine and Russia Tension has been brewing since former President Donald Trump refused to act amid the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. This development has caused tremendous alarm with political commentators and international statesmen. Last Monday, Trump invited the Kremlin’s Vladimir Putin to attend a two-hour call. Yet since then, Biden has come under fire for retreating from peace negotiations and failing to issue meaningful consequences on Russia through sanctions.
Before his inauguration, Trump had confidently proclaimed that he could end the war in 24 hours. Since taking up his new position, he has shied away from all the necessary pressure for a ceasefire starting now. Rather, he’s tied himself up negotiating a peace deal that supposedly would be good for both Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine’s critics are right that this path largely ignores what Ukraine needs most and emphasizes concessions to Moscow first and foremost.
Though tensions have dramatically increased, Russian bombardments have indiscriminately bombarded civilian structures throughout Ukraine over the last 48 hours. In a deafening silence, Trump has returned fire—or rather, not returned fire. This absence of response has drawn sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stated, “the silence of America … encouraging Putin.” Trump’s incompetence may very likely lead to a new Cold War and a much more difficult confrontation with China. Analysts caution that absent a focus on military pressure from Washington or serious European backing, the war could continue indefinitely.
Phillips O’Brien, a prominent analyst, remarked, “On Monday the great charade we have been seeing for months came to an end.” He continued to explain that the picture of what happened with Trump’s negotiations was pretty different than what most people think. The charade was that Trump was seeking a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia that treated both countries equally. Trump’s intent with the suspension was to pressure Ukraine into making major concessions to Russia. He wanted to help Putin realize a number of strategic goals.
Beyond his diplomatic blunders, Trump’s administration is unlikely to continue the robust military assistance that Ukraine needs. Many observers have raised red flags with the idea that withdrawing support would leave a vacuum. To counteract, Europe must increase its own diplomatic as well as military efforts. During Trump’s presidency, the Defense Intelligence Agency warned that Moscow planned to extend military operations for the entire year. This would make an already confusing situation even more difficult to navigate.
We’ve heard from Republicans that Trump’s approach has emboldened Putin, enabling him to take military action and further aggression without fear of immediate retaliatory measures. With the war raging on, analysts are becoming more and more alarmed. They caution that Trump’s withdrawal would spell a death knell for Ukraine and destabilize the rest of the region.