Anastasia Ryabokon13:43, 15.06.25

Columnist John Herbst believes that the US president’s latest statements indicate an unwillingness to acknowledge reality in relations with Russia.

In the issues of a peaceful settlement of the war between Russia and Ukraine, US President Donald Trump has promised to act through force, but is still refraining from putting pressure on the aggressor. This is stated in an article by John E. Herbst, Senior Director of the Eurasian Center of the Atlantic Council and former US Ambassador to Ukraine, for the Atlantic Council.

The author reminds that the Senate is working on a bill on major sanctions against Russia. It has already been co-sponsored by 84 Republican senators, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, which indicates broad support for anti-Russian sanctions. Many of them criticize US President Donald Trump for delaying, although they are ready to listen to his requests for now.

“Trump has been talking about a two-week deadline for almost two months now and has said several times during that time that he may have to impose sanctions. He is not fulfilling his promise to achieve a stable peace by putting pressure on the side that is preventing progress,” Herbst writes.

He believes that Trump’s public reflections on Russia also betray his reluctance to take decisive steps that could convince the Russian leadership to engage in serious negotiations. For example, his statement that Putin is not concerned about the human toll of war, but with the addition that he is disappointed with both Russia and Ukraine.

“While the president is taking inconsistent stances, his administration is making decisions that put Ukraine at a disadvantage,” Gerbstov adds, citing as an example the US Department of Defense’s decision to redirect American weapons to combat drones from Ukraine to the Middle East.

As another example, he cites the Trump administration’s position, revealed during the preparations for the Group of Seven summit. In the author’s opinion, the position demonstrates the administration’s particular interest in accommodating the Kremlin.

“The G7 members decided not to issue a joint communiqué, unlike last year, partly, I suspect, because previous G7 statements contained harsh criticism of the Kremlin’s aggression. The White House, meanwhile, has avoided critical statements about the Kremlin since February at the G7, NATO and the UN,” Herbst noted.

In his opinion, Trump’s concessions to Russia on this issue, his attempts to hide the fact that only Russia is blocking his peace initiative, and the decision to remove weapons from Ukraine have not made the Kremlin any smarter.

“These measures only encourage Putin to hope that the United States will withdraw from Ukraine and that victory awaits Russia. The Biden administration’s weakness in Afghanistan led to Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Trump promised peace through force. When will he start fulfilling his promises?” he asks.

(C)UNIAN 2025