Donald Trump spent Wednesday bullying Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy for rejecting a “peace deal” that would require Ukraine to cede all of the territory it has lost over the course of the war to Russia. Trump warned on Truth Social that Zelenskyy’s resistance to the deal would only “prolong the ‘killing field.’”
As if to prove Trump’s point, hours later, Russia launched its deadliest attack on Kyiv in nearly a year overnight. And what did Trump have to say about Vladimir Putin’s own protraction of the killing field? “Not necessary, and very bad timing,” he wrote Thursday.
If you were looking for proof that Trump’s treatment of Ukraine has emboldened Putin, look no further. Just last week, shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would decide within days whether to walk away from peace talks, Russia launched another missile attack on Kharkiv, killing one and wounding more than 100 others, including children.
With each attack, Putin seems to be betting not only that he’ll get away with a light rap on the wrist from Trump (“Vladimir, STOP,” the president posted lamely Thursday), but also that he’s helping bolster Trump’s message: That the only way to prevent more mass death is for Ukraine to give up its fight.
This sets a dangerous precedent not just for Putin, but for strongmen around the world. The Trump administration’s proposal would have both countries “freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today,” Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday. That would require Ukraine to surrender territory Russia took by force. It would also have the US recognize Crimea, which Russia invaded in 2014, as part of Russia. And it would require Ukraine to agree to all of this, while also being blocked from ever joining the NATO, foreclosing one possible measure of security for Ukraine going forward.
That the US is attempting to force that kind of concession on a democratic country defending itself against an aggressor sends a stunning message to global dictators that they are free to take what they want by force, so long as they’re not picking on someone their own size.
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